LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The plans for a community-owned grocery store on an empty lot at Finzer and Preston Streets in Smoketown are back to the drawing board. It's a disappointment for neighbor Tony Manning.
"My issue is telling the community for so many years that 'this is what we're gonna do, this is what we're gonna bring to the community,' and then it don't happen," he said.
Despite the letdown, the Shelby Square Resident Council president is optimistic. Manning envisions a future where his neighbors can enjoy fresh food closer to home, even if he doesn't mind the half-hour TARC ride to the 28th and Broadway Kroger.
"But my concern is for the seniors, those who don't have transportation, they can't do that," he explained.
"Here we are, almost five years later, and that money that was set aside with all the best intention in the world, never actually got used," Councilman Jecorey Arthur said, who represents most of the neighborhood.
That money, $3.5 million dollars set aside by the Louisville Metro Council for building a grocery store, was awarded to the two partners on the co-op.
In 2022, the groups held a party in anticipation of opening day, even selling t-shirts with the store's logo.
The Louisville Community Grocery was to operate the store while the Louisville Association for Community Economics handled fundraising and development. LACE also received the land for free.
"They had to fundraise additional dollars to actually build and open the grocery store, and they couldn't do it," Arthur explained.
A split between the organizations means the millions from the city must be reallocated in the next budget.
In a statement shared on Facebook, one of the founding members of the grocery, Cassia Herron wrote "last year the Louisville Community Grocery and its cooperative development partner the Louisville Association for Community Economics ended its relationship over differences in approach to the project. Over the past year, leaders with the Louisville Community Grocery have been busy getting access to our assets and reorganizing our board. Sadly, no new grocery stores have opened in our target neighborhoods since we started so our efforts to continue remain. We are in the middle of a market study to reconsider locations, including Finzer."
That, Manning said, "was the original plan. Let's see if we can bring it back, stick with it. Then, if not, we can think of something else."
Arthur isn't running for re-election, but believes Metro Council should put the funds toward a city-run grocery store.
While it's uncertain if the grocery store will go here, the desire for one is still strong.
The Louisville Community Grocery is hosting its Annual Owners Meeting on October 15th and encourages owners and those interested to attend. Contact them at louisvillecommunitygrocery@gmail.com or 502-509-1810.
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