YES! Organic Market Opens in Ward 8

Thanks to a reader for sending in the photo. Ed. Note: I fully reserve the right to make this photo of Mayor Fenty and CM Marion Barry the caption contest pick for next week… The reader writes:

“Heres a pic I snapped at the grand opening of the YES Organic Market on Pennsylvania Ave in SE (Ward 8). Here is a tender moment of Fenty & Marion Barry who Fenty introduced as “Mayor for life”. They went on to say it was a 26 million dollar project of mixed use retail with parking and affordable housing (above) to promote access to healthy food. Politics in an election year make for interesting moments.

Its exciting to have new development nearby, I’m in Ward 7 in Hillcrest. They said they plan to do more of these, but we just wonder how well it will work?”

From a press release:

The first organic grocery store to open East of the Anacostia River, Yes! Organic Market is committed to making fresh produce and healthy food affordable to the diverse demographic of families in the surrounding neighborhoods. The store is accepting supplemental nutrition assistance benefits (SNAP) and Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program vouchers.

The Yes! Organic Market is nestled in a new building with 118 rental units of affordable housing that opened in June. The units are slated for residents who earn 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) or less. The building, also known as the Grays on Pennsylvania, is owned by Chapman Development, headed by Timothy Chapman. Mr. Chapman and Yes! Organic Market owner Gary Cha have entered into an agreement to pursue five additional projects to develop multi-use buildings with affordable multi-family housing and a Yes! Organic Market in underserved areas within the District.

The DMPED awarded Yes! Organic Market with a $900,000 Great Streets grant. The project also received support from the District’s Supermarket Tax Credit program. The store created a total of 30 jobs; 25 of which are filled by District residents. All but one of the residents reside in either ward 7 or 8; the remaining resident lives in ward 5.