Lidl sets opening date for long-awaited store on Belair Road in Baltimore

BALTIMORE — Lidl will open its new Belair Road store on Wednesday, Dec. 16, giving Northeast Baltimore residents an answer after years of waiting.

The grocery chain said the store at 5950 Belair Road is part of its growing presence in Baltimore. The opening date brings to a close a long wait for neighbors, who had watched the building sit empty for nearly three years.

The store was built on the site of the former Bi-Rite Supermarket. Its exterior had gone largely unchanged since January 2023, even after the building received its use and occupancy permit that same month. As it sat vacant, some residents questioned whether infrastructure problems were keeping it closed.

READ MORE: City confirms no infrastructure issues preventing Lidl from opening as Northeast Baltimore store sits vacant

WMAR

The Mayor's Office previously told WMAR-2 News' Mallory Sofastaii that the city had not found any infrastructure problems or safety concerns that would stop the store from opening. Councilwoman Danielle McCray previously said a Lidl representative had pointed to refrigeration and supply chain issues at the site in 2024. At the time, the company said it was still committed to opening but had not given her office a clear timeline.

For neighbors, the delay meant more than staring at an empty building. Some told WMAR-2 News they wanted another affordable grocery option within walking distance.

"It's crazy how quickly they built it compared to how long it's been sitting there," resident Harmony Richardson said last month.

READ MORE: Lidl celebrated new stores in Bethesda and Bowie, but Baltimore projects sit idle

The Belair Road store is one of several Lidl projects in Baltimore that WMAR-2 News has tracked. The company also signed a lease to replace Streets Market at Yard 56 on Eastern Avenue. Separately, questions remain about a proposed Lidl at the Perkins-Somerset-Oldtown redevelopment. The latest announcement covers only the Belair Road location.

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