New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has now been in office for a little over 100 days, and while he has not yet delivered on his campaign promises to freeze the rent or make buses free, his city-owned grocery stores are one step closer to opening.
Earlier this week, Mamdani announced that a vacant lot next to La Marqueta, an East Harlem marketplace already owned by the city, will be the site of a city-owned grocery store. Mamdani said he announced this location first because it will be built from the ground up, unlike the other stores. The mayor expects the city to spend $30 million on construction costs, according to The New York Times. That's almost half of the $70 million total the administration has announced it plans to spend on all five stores.
