The Freshgrocer will finally open its doors today

The much-anticipated Freshgrocer supermarket will open tomorrow at 6 a.m., but Freshgrocer officials say that customers will not see the store in its best shape, due in part to University negligence. Executives of Freshgrocer, which is leasing space from the University, spent weeks negotiating with Penn over construction problems, such as cracks and defects in the floor, a faulty climate control system and a malfunctioning conveyor belt designed to transport shoppers' groceries to their cars. Last week, operator Pat Burns announced that an agreement had been reached and that the market would open today. However, Freshgrocer project manager Tony Varallo said that inlaid tile and floor defects have not been repaired as planned. "We were promised it would be done," Varallo said. "[University officials] are making it very difficult for us to open." "The conveyor belt is still not functional and the floors have been patched with a different tile but are not completed," Varallo said yesterday. Varallo said that some materials needed to complete the floor will not be available for at least four weeks. "We were told that none of the material would be available," Varallo said. "But they came in and tore [the floor] up anyway. They willfully started it without having the proper materials to complete it." But Penn Vice President of Facilities Services Omar Blaik said he believes that the agreement worked out between The Freshgrocer and the University has been fully met. "I am not aware of anything that is needed for the opening that has not been addressed," Blaik said. "We worked out a plan that Freshgrocer accepted and we are delivering 100 percent on that plan." Blaik professed confidence that the market would do well despite minor aesthetic problems, which will be completed after the opening. "Everything seems to be working according to plan," he said. "Barring surprises, I think we will open on Friday as planned." Penn Executive Vice President John Fry agreed. "We're all set for the opening," he said Wednesday. "We think the store looks terrific. We've gone through the list of items and we have everything under control." Both Varallo and Burns expressed determination to open the store even with the many visual blemishes unsolved. "Whatever's got to be done, we're going to do it to open," said Varallo. "It's been a round-the-clock operation on our part." Varallo admitted that the safety concerns, such as large bumps in the concrete, have been addressed by the University. "It won't be a tripping hazard but it will be a visual eyesore," he said of the half-finished inlaid tile images and unrepaired floor planks. While The Freshgrocer will open on the Friday of Spring Fling weekend, operator Pat Burns said that the festivities should not negatively affect the market. "I don't think it will bother us," he said. "Hopefully we'll sell more food." Burns said he believes that students will be very happy with the long-awaited market, which was supposed to open last summer. "I think [the students] will react very favorably," he said. "I think it is a beautiful supermarket that they will be very proud of." Fry said that the market was worth the wait. "Even though we've had some struggles opening the store, it remains a visionary concept, and I think we have the right team doing it," he said. "It's going to put more light and more life on 40th Street." While The Freshgrocer plans to stay open 24 hours a day, for the next few weeks, it will close on certain nights for the University to finish construction.

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