COMMERCE CITY, COLO. (June 27, 2012) – More than 500 customers were in line at 6 a.m. today when the new King Soopers MarketPlace officially opened for business in Commerce City. A ceremonial ribbon-cutting attended by local residents, elected officials and company representatives kicked-off a weekend of planned activities to mark the opening of the store, located at 15051 East 104th Avenue.

“Commerce City has seen its population double in the last 10 years and more rooftops meant more expectations for services and retail,” said Commerce City Mayor Sean Ford. “The King Soopers MarketPlace addresses a long-standing need for our residents and will be an economic driver for the area, from new jobs to new businesses looking to locate along 104th Avenue.”

The store concept is the fourth of its kind statewide; the 120,000-square-foot King Soopers MarketPlace offers a one-stop shopping location that meets the needs of today’s busy, health-conscious shopper. Traditional grocery offerings have been expanded to feature locally grown produce; chef-prepared meals; specialty food bars such as sushi, cheese, chicken wings and soup; and more than 5,000 natural and organic items. The MarketPlace will also sell quality general merchandise, including home goods, furniture, dinnerware, small appliances and more. It will also feature an In Store Fred Meyer Jewelry store.

“We can’t think of a better location to open our fourth MarketPlace store than here in Commerce City. The partnership with the city was critical to our decision to build here, as a Colorado company we are very excited about serving this community as a solution for much of what their family needs,” said Russ Dispense, President of King Soopers.

King Soopers estimates that at least 300 construction jobs were created through Colorado contractor Mark Young Construction and their subcontractors. Approximately 175 new positions were hired to serve local and regional customers.