READING - In less than a year, the number of supermarkets in Reading is expected to jump from one to three, with the confirmation this morning that a Market Basket will be opening on General Way in early 2008.

Rumors about the anticipated arrival of a Market Basket have been making the rounds around Reading over the past week or so, but George Danis, President of Danis Realty Trust, confirmed recently that the popular supermarket chain is in fact signed up to set up shop the building that will be placed at the former location of the Baby Furniture Warehouse (which has relocated closer to K & G Mens Mart in the One General Way complex), with an anticipated opening in the spring of 2008.

No exact square footage for the store was available this morning.

"We are very excited about this," said Danis this morning. "This will bring expanded choices to the residents of Reading and the surrounding towns, as well as the added tax dollars for the town. The town officials are very excited about this as well."

When the rumor first started making the rounds, some questioned its validity based on the fact that a Market Basket opening on General Way would be very close to the new Super Stop & Shop opening later this year on New Crossing Road.

While the two businesses will be close physically, Danis feels that there are enough differences between the two companies that the location issue will not be much of a factor.

"They have been a very successful company," said Danis. "The model they have is a good one, and this will give the residents another choice where to spend their money, and bring the tax dollars, increase the commercial base and bring more jobs to the town of Reading."

The General Way-Walkers Brook Drive area of Reading, located just off Route 128's Exit 39 at the Reading-Wakefield line, has been a hotbed of economic development over the past few years, starting with the opening of the Crossing at Walkers Brook retail center on the site of the former town landfill. Other developments in the area include:

*Former Boston Stove Co. industrial complex - A new 63,000 square foot Stop & Shop is being built on this five-acre parcel across from Walkers Brook.

* Former TASC / Northrop office building - This 15-acre site formerly had two under-utilized office buildings. A one-story building was razed. The three-story building is being recycled into first-class office and lab space by Hallmark Health Medical Center and other tenants. Two new restaurants will open here: Bertucci's and Longhorn Steak House.

* Route 128 Ford dealership - Owners are giving this tired building a major upgrade, turning it into a more upscale dealership.

"We have been in this area for 22 years, and these are certainly exciting times here," said Danis. "Town officials worked hard to get the landfill developed, and that has really turned into a golden goose in terms of money and jobs for the town. This is an exciting time for everyone."

The buildings which formerly housed the Baby Furniture Warehouse have been completely demolished, and Danis said that the new building that will house Market Basket will utilize the old footprint.

"We will have a whole new facade there, which will look nice as you head into the site," said Danis.

DeMoulas Market Basket, more commonly known as Market Basket, is a chain of supermarkets in eastern New England.

It has stores from central New Hampshire to Bristol County, Massachusetts with headquarters in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

Supermarket News ranked Demoulas Market Basket No. 49 in the 2007 "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on 2006 fiscal year estimated sales of $2.2 billion.

Though the chain is often collectively referred to as "DeMoulas," all of its stores, except one in Salem, New Hampshire, now operate under the Market Basket name.

Reading currently has one supermarket within its borders, the Atlantic Supermarket, which has been in business on Haven Street since 1922.

Over the years, Reading has been served by as many as six grocery stores, according to the town's published history, "At Wood End". The markets were located at sites currently occupied by Massbank on Haven Street, the Venetian Moon in the Square, the Registry of Motor Vehicles on Salem Street, Home Goods on Main Street and the Brooks pharmacy on Bolton Street.