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Gem City Market Groundbreaking To Be Held Wednesday

Gem City Market is slated to open in the fall of 2020.
April Laissle
/
WYSO
Gem City Market is slated to open in the fall of 2020.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for Gem City Market, a co-operative grocery store designed to address diminishing access to healthy food in West Dayton. 

Plans for the market have been underway since 2015. The store is set to offer fresh produce and other grocery staples. It’ll also feature a community health clinic and a teaching kitchen. 

Amaha Sellassie, president of the Gem City Market Board, says more than 2,200 people have already signed up to become members of the co-op. 

“So many volunteers have been spreading the word, knocking on doors. It’s really been a community effort," he says, "so we wanted to have a community party to celebrate.” 

The groundbreaking party will be held at 324 Salem Avenue from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday Sept. 18. 

The market is currently slated to open in the fall of 2020. 

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April Laissle is a graduate of Ohio University and comes to WYSO from WOUB Public Media in Athens, Ohio where she worked as a weekend host and reporter. There, she reported on everything from food insecurity to 4-H chicken competitions. April interned at KQED Public Radio in San Francisco, where she focused on health reporting. She also worked on The Broad Experience, a New-York based podcast about women and workplace issues. In her spare time, April loves traveling, trying new recipes and binge-listening to podcasts. April is a Florida native and has been adjusting to Ohio weather since 2011.