Greeley to get Latino market, just not the one it expected

Residents waiting for a Latino market in Greeley will finally get their wish later this year, but not in the package they expected.

A Minnesota-based company is changing the Wholesale Food Outlet, 3635 10th St., to an Avanza Supermarket, a Latino grocery store. The company -- Nash Finch -- owns the Wholesale Food Outlet and will own Avanza.

The move comes as a different Latino grocery store, Rancho Liborio, remains secretive about its own future in Greeley.

In November 2007, Anthony Trujillo, co-owner of Rancho Liborio, said plans for a Greeley store, which were approved in 2006, were on hold so the company could focus on building stores in Thornton, Westminster and Colorado Springs.

Trujillo didn't return phone calls seeking comment Wednesday.

The Rancho Liborio store in Colorado Springs was just completed, according to the Rancho Liborio Web site.

Becky Safarik, Greeley community development director, said initial plans that called for a pink building at the Avanza site were met with a collective "no" from city officials.

Residents and officials protested -- and got their way -- when Rancho Liborio proposed a yellow building in 2006.

Safarik said the Avanza building will have pink accents and brick and stucco. The company is going through the final process with Greeley officials before it can begin its renovation of the site.

"People didn't like the yellow color," and they really wouldn't like the pink, Safarik said.

Colorado has two Avanza Supermarkets: One in Denver on south Federal Boulevard and one in Aurora on north Pecos Street. Both stores in the Denver Metro area have large Latino populations that live in neighborhoods surrounding them.

Avanza and Nash Finch representatives didn't return a phone call seeking comment.