The locally-owned Colonial Market will open by December in the former Aldi on Penn Avenue in north Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — For a year and a half, the building on 3120 Penn Avenue North has set empty.
In February 2023, Aldi left the northside — leaving a food desert in its place.
“There are a few things that every neighborhood needs. You need a school; you need a park or a recreation center… you need a grocery store. And for more than a year now, this community here on the northside has largely been without a grocery store after the ALDI closed,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said.
“I just remember us having conversations after we found out Aldi was going to close and just feeling like, what’s next? How can we ensure that people don’t go deeper into a food desert?” said Minneapolis City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw.
Mayor Frey …