FRAMINGHAM - A second public comment period regarding the planned relocation of Seabra Foods’ Framingham store has opened following the Community Development Committee’s (CDC) public meeting on Tuesday, July 9.

The 30-day comment period relates to Seabra’s move from 208 Waverly Street to 35 Concord Street, which is at the corner of Howard Street downtown.

Details on the plan show that the new Seabra grocery story would have its market on the first floor of the Concord Street site in addition to nine apartment units on the second floor. Those apartments would be rented out to community members at affordable prices, with priority being given to employees of the store.

City officials believe the new Seabra site will lead to a boost to the local economy along with the vitality of the downtown area as a whole. Framingham’s Director of Planning and Community Development Sarkis Sarkisian noted during Tuesday’s CDC meeting that Seabra previously had just one year remaining on the lease at their current site, as the city identified keeping them in the area as a major goal for economic development.

“A lot of the folks that live in and around the downtown don’t have the public transportation,” Sarkisian said, “and there was a concern that we would lose our only grocery store market right in the downtown.”

Sarkisian added that the city has already been speaking with the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority to add a bus stop at the new Seabra location.

Framingham officials project that around 15 additional workers will be able to be employed at the new store, which would bring the total number of employees at the local Seabra market up to 50.

Tuesday’s CDC meeting featured a presentation regarding Framingham’s application for the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program to assist in the Seabra Foods move. The city intends to apply for $1 million via Section 108, which provides low-cost financing through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It’s meant to finance housing, infrastructure, public facility, and economic development projects.

“These funds would help Seabra renovate the building,” Economic Development Specialist and Planner for the Framingham Patricia Costa explained on Tuesday.

“Seabra’s actually working with a budget of around $7 million that consists of the acquisition of the building and all the renovation work.”

Costa said that Seabra would be responsible for the remaining cost of their relocation.

Public comments on Framingham’s Section 108 application are being accepted by city officials through August 8. That feedback will be used to tweak the action plan that will be submitted to the federal level. Emails can be sent to Costa—prcostadesa@framinghamma.gov—while letters can be written and addressed to the Memorial Building at 150 Concord Street, Room 121, Framingham, MA, 01702.

For more details on the public comment process, visit the CDC’s web page by clicking here.