LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville's next full-service grocery store could be coming to the Smoketown neighborhood, according to Metro Councilman Jecorey Arthur's Monday newsletter:
"In the summer of 2020, Louisville Metro Government allocated $3.5 million for a community grocery store. District 4 is the only council district without a full-service grocery. I'm proud to say that negotiations for that store are happening to build it on a vacant lot in Smoketown. I'll share updates as they happen."
It's part of a $3.5 million agreement made in summer 2020, but details like exact location, development plans and ownership still have been up in the air.
This comes as the city continues to struggle with food insecurity: 16.1% of Louisville residents have a lack of access to fresh food, according to the Greater Louisville Project, ranking 5th among peer cities. The organization said 17% of the city's kids fall in that category too.
Easy access to affordable and nutritious foods is a challenge for so many. In neighborhoods like Smoketown, some families having to drive miles to get what they need. In the area, Joe's Neighborhood Food Mart is the only option within walking distance for residents.
"We have about 15 churches, a house center, a fire station, but no real grocery store," said Curtis Taylor, executive director of Loaves and Fishes, Inc. "Some place that doesn't sell tobacco, or liquor or beer, but something that sells nutritious vegetables, canned goods and fresh bread."
Community leaders like Taylor say food deserts are all too common in the city, where choices for fresh produce are slim to none.
In the heart of Smoketown, Taylor leads Loaves & Fishes, a non-profit that serves free meals for hundreds every week.
"I fed people out of the trunk of my car [when it first started], and it kind of grew from there," Taylor said.
He knows the neighborhood as well as anyone, and said this move is much needed.
Councilman Arthur didn't respond to WHAS11's messages, but we also spoke about the development with Council President David James.
"At the end of December of this year, we should have some significant progress in the direction that we're going to go," Council President James said.
Council President James said it's to help remedy a troubling trend.
"With the larger grocery chains pulling out of urban areas, and only operating in the suburban areas, it just leaves us in a bad place," he said.
The release didn't pinpoint a location. We worked to get more specifics on the development, like who would own the store and whether it would be a well-known brand name or locally operated.
Metro Council didn't have those details for us. And so far, the Department of Public Health & Wellness said 'no comment' for now.
Meanwhile, Taylor's not celebrating the news just yet.
"Skeptical is the word. Celebrate is something second hand, you can't celebrate until it's done because talking about it doesn't promise you anything," Taylor said.
But he hopes it's a sign of further investment from local leaders to make basic necessities easier to get ahold of.
The lead developer Nathan Hernandez released this statement to WHAS11:
"Right now, we don't have much to say on the RFP other than to confirm we, LACE and LCG, are working on a development agreement with the city to open a community grocery. A site in Smoketown is one of the areas we've discussed with them and is a strong contender, but a site will not be finalized until the development agreement is approved by all relevant stakeholders."
If you have any questions/concerns/feedback on a potential Smoketown site you can contact the company via email.
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