Bowie officials want to allow beer and wine sales at some grocery stores — now illegal in Prince George’s County and most of Maryland — to attract a specialty grocery store.
State Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters and several Prince George’s County delegates are submitting a bill to the General Assembly on behalf of the Bowie City Council to allow beer and wine licenses for grocery stores in areas north of Route 450.
The city intends to use the added incentive of alcohol sales to lure a new anchor tenant to Bowie Plaza, on Route 197, where space once occupied by a Giant Food supermarket has sat vacant for more than four years.
Giant relocated but held the lease for several years after leaving to prevent a new grocery store from moving in and competing for customers, according to Peters. Starbucks and other businesses have left the shopping center in recent years as foot traffic tailed off.
But now the lease is up for grabs, and officials have spoken with Harris Teeter and Trader Joe’s about opening what would be the chains’ first stores in Prince George’s County, he said.
“That time has come and gone, and now a lot of small businesses in the mall are saying we have to go get some more foot traffic in here or we’re not going to make it,” Peters said.
Catherine Reuhl, spokeswoman for Harris Teeter, said it’s against company policy to discuss store matters until a lease has been executed for a new site.
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Calls to Trader Joe’s officials were not returned.
The vacant property at Bowie Plaza is less than 40,000 square feet with little room to grow, according to Giant spokesman Jamie Miller. Like other grocery chains, Giant moved to a larger space.
Peters said the smaller space could fit the needs of a smaller, specialty grocery store such as Trader Joe’s. A recently opened Trader Joe’s in Arlington County needed just 13,300 square feet.
