Aldi to open second store in Rochester Hills

ROCHESTER HILLS — Aldi is investing $13 million to open three stores in eastern Michigan, including a second location in Rochester Hills.

The first of the new Aldi locations opened in Midland in November 2024, a grand opening for Hillsdale was scheduled for March 13, and the Rochester Hills store is slated to open before the end of the year.

Officials said the new Rochester Hills store will set up shop in the former MI Combat space in the Adams Marketplace Plaza, near the intersection of Adams Road and M-59. The shopping plaza is also home to two additional grocery stores, Meijer and Walmart.

“Its a great spot for it,” Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett said. “I think it will breathe some new life into that center and I think it will be a big win for that area.”

The city’s first Aldi opened at 1106 Rochester Road in November of 2019.

“Aldi has a wonderful reputation. We have one in the city that does very well, so we’re excited,” Barnett added.

Combined, the three new grocery stores will include approximately 61,000 square feet of space and feature a range of products — including fresh meat and seafood, organic produce, and pantry items. Approximately 30% of each store’s floor area will be dedicated to fresh food, according to Aldi.

“We are incredibly grateful Aldi chose … to invest in our community and create up to 15 additional jobs for our residents,” said Pamela Valentik, economic development manager for Rochester Hills.

The developments are being supported with a $12-million New Markets Tax Credit allocation from Michigan Community Capital, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes community and economic development.

The New Markets Tax Credit, officials said, is a federal subsidy tool administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury and designed to attract capital to projects that support low- and moderate-income households and communities.

“The New Market Tax Credit is a federal program that supports businesses that invest in low-income federal census track, so it’s nothing that is administered by the city. It’s on the Federal side,” explained Valentik.

According to a news release from Michigan Community Capital, the three stores in Michigan will address the critical need for affordable, fresh food in one non-metro and two metro communities that experience high rates of food insecurity, as each store within the project area qualifies as an “Area of Greater Economic Distress” as defined by the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund.

Barnett said the grant wasn’t anything the city was involved in.

“That was a surprise to me as well,” he said.

A representative from Michigan Community Capital could not be reached for further comment.