Cub Foods Opens ''Green'' Grocery Store

Cub Foods, a grocery banner owned by parent company SUPERVALU, announces the grand opening of a one-of-a-kind store. Upon approval, the store will become Minnesota’s first, and one of the nation’s few, new grocery stores to successfully achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification. This new Cub Foods will be located in the Phalen neighborhood of St. Paul, Minn.

Cub Foods has also received an award from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) GreenChill Partnership at Gold-Level Certification. The award is given for outstanding use of environmentally friendly refrigeration technology.

Cub customers will experience a unique shopping environment from the moment they step inside. The new 62,900-square-foot store will feature:

• 44 skylights that will illuminate 75 percent of regularly occupied spaces using a solar powered GPS system that tracks and redirects sunlight as needed.
• The first commercial parking lot in Minnesota to be illuminated using only LED lights that only need to be replaced every 40 years and provide 50 percent energy savings.
• Half of the waste from buildings torn down on the construction site has been reused in the construction of the new building or recycled.
• 35 percent savings in lighting costs compared to typical Cub stores.
• A maintenance-free floor that eliminates the need for chemicals during the cleaning process.
• A landscape irrigation system that uses 50 percent less water than typical systems.
• 75 percent of the building construction waste will not end up in landfills. Instead, it will be recycled and turned into other useful materials.

“Environmental stewardship, living-wage jobs and urban revitalization are not mutually exclusive goals,” said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. “This store shows that smart investments can be good for neighborhoods, good for the environment and good for a company’s bottom line.”

“The innovations Cub Foods brings to the St. Paul Phalen community with its new LEED store are exceptional. The commitment Cub is making to the long-term well-being of the environment, their customers and employees truly exemplifies what our hometown grocers are all about,” said Jamie Pfuhl, president of the Minnesota Grocers Association.

“Cub is pleased to open a store in a community that was previously underserved,” said Mark Halvorson, store director, Phalen Cub Foods. “We enjoy giving back to the community and now we’re also giving back to the environment.”

The store will continue to offer Cub shoppers a convenient shopping experience. The fresh deli and meat counters will offer a broader selection of fresh seafood. The store will also feature an expanded global department offering foods from around the world. Other amenities include a pharmacy with a drive-thru window and a full-service TCF Bank.