People's Market: America's Food Basket to take over Codman Sq. store.America’s Food Basket, which has locations in Fields Corner and Hyde Park, is expanding into Codman Square after taking over the People’s Tropical Food Supermarket on Washington Street, located across from the Walgreen’s.

The store’s new manager, Gonzalo Diaz, said Food Basket plans to renovate the outside and inside of the building, work that will take about four to six months. The store, Codman Square’s largest, will remain open during that time and the renovations will take place during the night. “We’re going to remodel the whole store,” said Diaz.

The store will also be hiring more people, up from the three people who were employed under the previous owners, who owned the site for close to a dozen years.

Cynthia Loesch, president of the Codman Square Neighborhood Council, said the previous owners, who could not be reached for comment, were sometimes shut down by the city’s inspectional services department. “We would like a fresh produce, healthy food alternative in our community because we haven’t had it,” Loesch said, adding that local residents often go to the Shaw’s in Lower Mills or the Stop and Shop in the Neponset neighborhood.

“We’re hoping we can convince them there’s a huge market out there who would like to shop locally,” she said of America’s Food Basket.

A representative from America’s Food Basket will be at the neighborhood council meeting on March 2 in the Great Hall at 6 Norfolk St. at 7 p.m.