In what would turn out to be the final months of Heinen’s downtown grocery store, Cuyahoga County awarded $50,000 to help the company shrink its footprint at the historic Cleveland Trust rotunda on East Ninth Street.
Heinen’s would not have to repay the money as long as it stayed open until July 31 of this year, according to Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne’s press secretary. Late last month, Heinen’s announced its downtown store’s final day would be July 31.
The grant was one piece of an effort over the last few years — totaling at least $400,000 — by Cleveland, the county, downtown boosters and business advocates to support the grocery store in the center of a redeveloped Euclid Avenue…