TUCSON, AZ (February 19, 2026) -- Trader Joe’s has now posted a new Tucson store on its website as “Coming Soon,” listing the location at 2150 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85719.
Local permitting activity aligns with the company’s posting. The City of Tucson’s permit portal includes a commercial tenant-improvement application for the existing 12,666-square-foot building at the same address “for a proposed Trader Joe’s grocery store,” describing a turnkey buildout with architectural, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical scope.
What’s happening at the site
Public permit records show the project progressing through plan review and inspections, with additional signage work also appearing under the address. Separately, the City’s weekly permit activity reports have previously referenced a tenant-improvement permit at 2150 E. Broadway tied to a proposed Trader Joe’s grocery store.
Trader Joe’s has not published an opening date, but the “Coming Soon” listing and the active permit trail provide the clearest confirmation yet that the Broadway store is moving forward. But openings generally occur 3 to 6 months after they are announced.
“We need a grocery store Downtown!” has been a decades-long refrain
In Tucson, this news lands in a context locals know well: for decades, one of the most persistent quality-of-life knocks on Downtown living has been the lack of a convenient, full-service grocery option close to the core. Downtown has grown into a true residential neighborhood, but everyday shopping has remained a “get in the car” errand for many households.
That’s why the broader signal here is important. A central Tucson grocer's commitment—paired with other grocery-focused development conversations suggests the urban core and its adjacent neighborhoods are finally reaching the density and day-to-day demand that grocers require.
One of the most visible examples on that front has been a Rio Nuevo-backed effort presented by Marcel Dabdoub, which described acquiring the block at Broadway and Plumer to attract an “internationally known boutique grocery” and build a high-end grocery and retail project—an explicit response to the long-running “Downtown needs a grocery store” demand. Dabdoub has a proven track record of executing projects in Downtown Tucson.
The Rio Nuevo Board approved an investment of up to $4.5 million to attract an internationally known boutique grocery to the corner of Broadway and Plumer in 2023. Local developer Marcel Dabdoub presented plans to acquire the entire block at the southwest corner for a 10,000+ sq. ft. high-end grocery store and retail outlet, where a Dollar Tree store once stood. Revenue forecasts for the new store approach $30 million annually. The investment would include a $1.5 million cash investment upon opening and a sales tax rebate capped at $3 million over 10 years.
What comes next for the Broadway store
With the store now publicly posted and the buildout described in city records, the next milestones are straightforward: plan approvals, construction progress, signage installation, hiring activity, and the first opening window guidance.