Political and financial scrutiny grows over $30 million grocery store project spearheaded by Zohran Mamdani
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s newly announced city-owned grocery store will cost $30 million to construct from the ground up at East Harlem’s long-standing La Marqueta, officials confirmed.
The La Marqueta site – announced by Mamdani during a Sunday celebration of his first 100 days in office – may be the first site selected for the mayor’s promised five city-owned grocery stores, but other locations will be picked and opened sooner, City Hall officials told The Post on Monday.
Mamdani’s administration is currently scouring the city for locations that don’t require a full ground-up build, officials said. The city has budgeted an initial $70 million to fund the city-owned stores.
Mayor Mamdani’s first city-owned grocery store comes with a hefty price tag for NYC taxpayers.
The selection of La Marqueta, however, carries symbolic weight that Mamdani was keen to point out – his idol, former Mayor Fiorella La Guardia, had established the marketplace as a location during the 1930s where working people could save money on fruits and vegetables.
“We will continue his legacy,” Mamdani said.
“We are building a brand-new store on city-owned land currently sitting empty in East Harlem, a neighborhood where nearly 40% of households received public assistance or SNAP in the past year.”
La Marqueta in East Harlem is located near a number of grocery stores.
La Marqueta is one of six public markets in New York City, including Essex Market and the Jamaica Farmers Market.
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