ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, June 26, 1996 TAG: 9606260012
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: TRACY WHITAKER STAFF WRITER
Wade's Supermarkets expects to begin construction on a new grocery store on First Street in central Radford by July 8 and open the store by January, according to a company official.
For about two years, a sign bearing Wade's bold red and yellow logo has announced the new Wade's grocery store would be "opening soon" at the former site of the Beatrice Foods/Clover Creamery building on First Street, across from Cooks Clean Center Inc.
The project's status has been a question mark for months, given that another proposed Wade's store in the Marketplace area of Christiansburg was canned last year. Last week, vandals voiced their opinion: Someone taped foot-high homemade letters that spelled out the word "NOT" above the "Opening Soon" message. The letters have been removed.
The First Street site appears ready for construction, but there is still much work to be done before the building goes up, according to Greg Wade, director of buying and advertising for the locally owned, privately held grocery chain of six supermarkets and 13 convenience stores.
"The parking lot is on the flat land and the store is going to be built where the land slopes down toward the railroad tracks. A great deal of grading and preparation will be necessary before the actual construction can begin," Wade said.
Wade wouldn't be specific when asked why it has taken nearly two years to get the Radford store under way. "We've taken more time to get the store up and running than you might see from a larger chain because we wanted to make sure we can build the best store possible for the city of Radford," he said.
The plans for the Christiansburg store, however, were overcome by stepped-up competition. A sign on the Christiansburg site, located between Kmart and the former Heironimus store, proclaimed for months that a Wade's Supermarket would be opening soon. But when plans to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter nearby were announced, Wade's canceled its plans for the new store. Wade's still owns the land, but it is listed for sale.
"We felt that there just isn't room for two supermarkets in that area right now," Wade said.
Central and west Radford, on the other hand, lack a major grocery chain.
Several convenience stores in the area sell bread, milk and other must-haves. But since 1988, when Thriftway closed in the Central Square shopping center, residents in central and west Radford have had little choice but to trek across the city to the Food Lion on Tyler Avenue near Radford University or across Memorial Bridge to the Kroger and Food Lion stores in Fairlawn to shop at a sizeable supermarket.
The 40,000-square-foot store in Radford will be similar to the existing Wade's stores in Christiansburg and Dublin and will feature a full-service deli.
Wades plans to begin accepting applications for positions at the Radford store toward the end of the year.
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