The downtown part of a Valley city is celebrating what it calls a successful year, and soon the area will add a grocery store.

The announcement came at Monday night's Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance celebration at Cally's restaurant. The group says the downtown area added more than a dozen new businesses.

After almost five year in the works, the Friendly City Food Co-Op is expected to open next fall.

The co-op's goal has been to create a cooperatively owned store run by the people who shop there to sell fresh, regionally grown and organic foods.

The Food Co-Op says it finally has enough money and members to make the downtown grocery store a reality.

"We're just very excited to be here and to be finally making this announcement. A lot of folks in the community have been waiting a long time for it, so we're ready,"says co-op member Sam Nickels.

Friendly Food Co-Op expects to open the downtown grocery store at the old "Mick-or-Mack" location on East Wolfe Street.