"I call it a 5 minute community where you can work here, play here, etc. go into town."
The $30-million project calls for plenty of ground-floor window space to attract passersby. They mayor adding the benefits of a grocery store extend beyond nutrition and offer significant employment opportunities.
The Shops are the beginning of the third and final phase of Blatstein's redevelopment. And as this phase of the project stretches out toward Girard, many local businesses hope it will bring more foot traffic into their establishments.
For the owner of Modo Mio he thinks the shops will only make this hip and trendy neighborhood hotter and hopes his one concern comes true.
"The only concern is that we'll have too much business and we'll have to open up another," said Peter McAndrews.
Here's hoping. The project is set to be complete by the end of this year.