Iowa City Lucky’s Market opening date pushed to July 1

IOWA CITY - The opening date for Iowa City Marketplace's Lucky's Market has been pushed back a few weeks.

Lucky's Market spokeswoman Krista Torvik said in a Monday email that the opening date for the Boulder, Colo-based natural and organic grocery store's first Iowa location at 1668 Sycamore Street in Iowa City has been pushed back to July 1 due to unforeseen circumstances.

Lucky's Market officials announced last week plans to open the store, at the old Von Maur Space in the former Sycamore Mall, June 17.

Store officials say they plan to host a bacon-cutting ceremony at the grand opening and a presentation of more than $20,000 in grants to support four local non-profit organizations - Table to Table, the Crisis Center of Johnson County, the Shelter House and Farm to Family.

The roughly 37,000-square-foot store was first announced as the new anchor store in July 2014 and will employ about 150 people. The grocery will offer a variety of organic and gluten-free items, house-made deli items and meats, a bakery and juice bar, coffee bar and beer and wine selection.

Late last year the Iowa City Council approved a seven-year, $1.75 million tax increment finance rebate to the shopping center to help revitalize the area. A portion of those funds were used to prepare the mall for Lucky's Market, which drew criticism from the board of directors of New Pioneer Co-op.

That TIF is predicated on the shopping center ultimately bringing its taxable valuation up from its current $10.2 million to $16 million.