A couple of generations ago, Beaver Falls residents had access to at least three major grocery stores: City Market on Seventh Avenue, A&P on 24th Street, and Economy Supermarket on Ninth Avenue in the lower end of the city.
All three aforementioned grocery stores have been closed for at least 20 years, while the Sav-A-Lot (formerly Economy Supermarket and Foodland) recently shut its doors on Ninth Avenue.
With those stores gone, city and state leaders are now attempting to address what is commonly known as a “food desert” in Beaver Falls.
In an effort to learn more about the issue and leaders’ intentions, The Times recently spoke with Beaver Falls Mayor Kenya Johns.
The second-term mayor concurred that she, along with Beaver Falls City Manager Charles “Mick” Jones and 14th District state Rep. Roman Kozak, is in discussions related to turning the tide on the city’s food desert situation.
What can be done about the food desert?
Beaver Falls has a significant need for improved grocery access, as parts of the city are officially classified as food deserts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to published reports.
While there are major supermarkets in the general vicinity, many are located in the Chippewa Township area, creating a 3-mile gap, making it difficult for downtown Beaver Falls residents and older residents who lack reliable transportation.
Jones said they are considering appropriate, centrally located sites within the city that would be convenient for residents to walk to retail grocery outlets.
In a call from his Harrisburg offices, Kozak said he’s acutely aware of Beaver Falls residents’ need for access to retail stores that sell fresh produce and meats.
Though he grew up in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park, after graduating from Geneva College in 2006, he developed a love for Beaver Falls and relocated there after meeting his future wife and New Brighton native Lauren Pasquale at college. The couple now has four sons.
“My mother grew up in Homestead and my father in Bethel Park, so I have an affinity for small towns,” said the 38-year-old Republican state legislator. His constituency also includes several townships in Beaver County, including Chippewa, Darlington, Daugherty, Franklin, Marion, New Sewickley, North Sewickley, Patterson, White and Pulaski; boroughs include Big Beaver, Economy and New Brighton.
Kozak is a former Beaver Falls Planning Commission member and a former New Brighton Area High School teacher.
Jones, 60, grew up in nearby Ellwood City and said he, too, would like to see new business development in Beaver Falls, in addition to grocery stores, to establish a footprint in the city.
An 11-year city manager and former police chief, Jones said it’s vital that Beaver Falls residents are aware that he and Johns are adamant about ensuring that Beaver Falls continues to experience economic improvement.
“It’s not like we’re just sitting around keeping things status quo,” he said. “We’re constantly meeting and having discussions on how to improve our city. And, we welcome our residents’ input. Our city council meetings are always open for us to hear suggestions and ideas from our residents.
“This city belongs to all of us – we’re mainly the representatives to ensure that legally, we keep the ship afloat,” Jones added.
Jones said he recalls when Beaver Falls hosted several stable grocery store operations.
“I’d like for our residents to be aware of the fact that we’re making efforts to alleviate this current (grocery store) void. As elected officials, it’s our mission to create opportunities where all of our residents have accessibility to fresh produce and groceries,” he said.
“They (residents) should never think that we’re not having their best interest in mind. We are in constant conversation and discussion with various grocery store owners, and for those who happen to own the property in our city’s vicinity.
What’s next?
Without identifying any other individual businesses, Jones confirmed that one place contacted was California-based Grocery Outlet. Unfortunately, in recent weeks, that chain has shuttered nearly 40 of its East Coast properties. In Maryland, the Westminster location closed for good on March 21, even though it had only been open for less than two years, according to employees working inside the local store.
Not all Beaver Falls residents consider the food situation as dire.
For instance, Rebecca Salopek, 74, who, along with her husband, Stephen Salopek, 80, annually administered the non-profit Christmas dinner in Beaver Falls that ran for 31 years, until this past holiday season.
Salopek says she doesn’t consider the Beaver Falls situation quite so alarming. “There are a few what I describe as privately owned mom and pop shops in the city,” she said.
Salopek named the Beaver County Fruit Market in downtown Beaver Falls and the Giles Town & Country grocery store on 24th Street as viable shops where staples like milk and fresh vegetables are available. Fresh meat can be purchased at Milk House Meats near the old Spotlight 88 drive-in location in North Sewickley Township, she said.
“The Beaver County Transit Authority (bus) travels to Chippewa, where there’s a Giant Eagle and Walmart. And a Foodland grocery store is in New Brighton,” Salopek added. She said customers can order items from the Walmart in Chippewa and the Giant Eagles in Chippewa and Rochester.
“We also have a Dollar General on Seventh Avenue, and they now have a freezer section,” she said. “Even the Sheetz on College Hill in the city – there’s made-to-order meals there, too.”
