There was no red ribbon outside the front door of the Azalea Fresh Market as political dignitaries and business leaders waited for the exact moment to begin the first tour of the store. The market is located at the corner of Peachtree St. and Edgewood Avenue, and directly across the street from Woodruff Park.
What was once a Walgreens with people sitting and sometimes lying outside is now supposed to be an answer to changing downtown Atlanta’s status as a food desert. The store resembles your average Publix, with clean floors, well-lit sections, fresh fruit and vegetables, and high-end candies, like Tony’s chocolate bars.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Invest Atlanta President & CEO Dr. Eloisa Klementich, and Savi Provisions President Paul Nair attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“I want to revitalize Downtown,” Dickens said as he and others were given a tour of the first floor of the market by Nair, some of his family members, and staff. “This is our vision coming true.”
The second floor, which was not part of the Mayor’s and media’s tour on Thursday morning, will have two restaurants. It will be accessible via escalators and an elevator. The store will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
Asked about what could be done to prevent any security issues with the market being open till 10 p.m., Dickens said there will be plenty of eyes on the first supermarket in the Five Points area in decades.
“We are very well aware of the need to maintain safety and security. Businesses thrive when they don’t have the uncertainty of crime,” Dickens said. “We made a commitment to this location, to Savi, and to the residents and businesses of downtown, that we are going to make sure it is safe.”
Dickens said there are cameras and security systems in place for added security. The 61st Mayor of Atlanta added that the Atlanta Police Department, Georgia State Police, and the Central Atlanta Progress Downtown Ambassadors are all routinely on the scene and will provide an extra layer of security.
“I think there’s a lot of eyes on this,” Dickens said. “So, when you have a lot of activity, the more shoppers you have, the more business that is going on, and that provides safety.”
During the tour at the back of the store, Dickens credited Nair for the prices of the protein powder. Dickens said he uses similar products and pays equal prices for them.
“We absolutely want to be cheaper than Walmart,” Nair told Dickens.
The Olympia Building, home of the large Coca-Cola clock on top of the building, in which Azalea Fresh Market is housed, has been a landmark for many years. The nearly 100-year-old building has been home to several businesses, including bank branches, and Tom Pitt’s Soda Fountain in the early 1900s.
Azalea Fresh Market is not a cheap solution to Downtown Atlanta being a food desert, but it is an answer.
“Y’all did it,” Dickens said to Nair and company. “We set the vision and y’all made it happen.”
