New market being built for Eau Claire shoppers
EAU CLAIRE — A grocery store will at last be back open for business at the site of the old Delisio’s Market that was destroyed by fire at 101 S. Washington St.
Eau Claire Mayor Bruce Toth confirmed Thursday that the market will have groceries, and also will sell pizza and sandwiches.
“It’ll be great because we don’t have access to much now,” Toth said. “We have to go to either Grove City or Butler for any type of groceries or anything.”
The original market had been open for more than a century, first as Beatty’s Market, then as Thompson’s Market, and finally as Delisio’s Market.
It burned down in a fire on April 17, 2014. Many felt that a sense of community was lost when the market burned down.
Residents interviewed in the fire’s aftermath said the loss of the store hurt the town.
Toth said he doesn’t know if this new market will restore the communal feel that came with the old market.
“I don’t know if it will get that far or not,” he said. “Most of the old people who used to hang out there have either moved out of town or are gone,” he said. “It was 100 years it was here, so it just evolved through time, and I don’t know if it will ever get back to that again, but it could possibly.”
The building is still under construction. Details on when the market will open were not available.
The market will be owned by Timothy and Patricia Delisio. Neither returned phone calls seeking comments.
