Fry's scheduled to open Downtown Phoenix location in late September 2019

PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- Good news for people who live and work in Downtown Phoenix, as Fry's officials confirm its downtown grocery store is set to open by the end of September.

Getting a grocery store is a big deal for Downtown Phoenix, in addition to efforts to make it a place to work and live.

"I think it would be great, [because] I have to travel far for a grocery store -- a good one," said Unique Esquer, who works in Downtown Phoenix.

The finishing touches are going up on the 67,000 square foot grocery store, located at the corner of 1st Street and Washington. When finished, it will include a deli, bakery, and pharmacy.

"There aren't any regular places to eat," said Tim Hagerstrom, who works in Downtown Phoenix. "Everyone tries to be fancy, so it will be nice to have a grocery store to get what you want."

Around 60,000 people work in Downtown Phoenix, and that number has been steady for years. What has changed, however, is the number of people living in Downtown. Now at around 12,000, the number is expected to double in the next three to five years.

The grocery store is part of the Block 23 development plan: 230,000 square feet of residential office and retail space already being built within a square mile. The new Fry's grocery store will be at the center of the activity.

"We're incredibly excited because that's the last piece of the puzzle," said RJ Price with Downtown Phoenix Inc. "Because if you're going to call yourself a neighborhood, you have to have a grocery store."