When downtown’s first urban grocery store opened in early January, it was a meaningful step toward making the vision of a lively, walk-friendly downtown a reality.

The small but mighty Resnicks is located on the ground floor of SoHo Lofts, 900 Las Vegas Blvd. South. An inviting storefront, complete with outdoor seating on a lawn of bright green turf, opens onto the sidewalk of Hoover Avenue, with street parking providing quick and easy accessibility. The shelves are stocked with organic foods, environmentally-friendly household items, farm fresh produce and a variety of grab-and-go lunch options that include sandwiches, salads and sushi. It is also the first retail outlet for locally-baked Bon Breads. This month the store will add beer and wine selections, focusing on micro-brews and carefully selected wines at affordable price points. Owner Sam Cherry has plans already in the works to expand the store space and add a deli.

Cherry says Resnicks doesn’t pretend to replace larger grocery stores, but rather provides a place for downtown residents and workers to get quality food without having to get in their cars. After growing up in Las Vegas, Cherry’s vision for downtown was inspired by time spent in other cities. “For any city to have two million residents and not have a vibrant downtown is mind-boggling,” he said.

Cherry Development opened SoHo Lofts in 2006, the first residential high rise within the Las Vegas city limits, and he is encouraged to see new projects taking shape in the area. “Just look out the door and you can see what’s happening,” Cherry says. “We now have Symphony Park, bringing with it the Cleveland Clinic and The Smith Center. We have The Beat and Emergency Arts. Go back less than a decade and none of that development was here. It’s great to feel like our beliefs in the need for a revitalized downtown have been validated.”

Cherry’s downtown vision is still gaining momentum. In addition to the existing Globe Salon and Resnicks, a bar and restaurant are under construction on the ground floor of SoHo Lofts.

Resnicks is open daily from 7:30am until 8:00pm. For more information, visit www.resnicksgrocery.com or call (702) 982-2999. 

Photo: Resnicks Grocery on ground floor of Soho Lofts