CHARLOTTE — Mecklenburg County commissioners in May approved $1.5 million for West Coast Spangler’s Markets to help build a grocery store in north Charlotte.
The store will be located at the corner of Kohler Avenue and Statesville Avenue.
The area is located in the middle of a food desert.
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“When you talk about access to healthy food, access to good nutrition, that’s something that has a huge residual effect over the long term. It creates healthy communities. It’s good for our economy,” Mecklenburg County Commissioner Mark Jerrell said.
Jerrell said the reason they chose Spangles was because of how difficult it has been to attract a traditional grocery store to the area.
The co-owner of the Boundary Street commercial property said he’s been trying for the past seven years.
“Most of the larger companies would say, ‘You can’t make money here,’ but if we do this, we have the proof of concept that they can actually be successful,” said co-owner Rodney Faulkner.
Georgina Berg, who lives in a senior living apartment complex, told Channel 9 she struggles to get fresh food in her area.
“This is a food desert, so it takes a while to get to the closest store, so it’s nice to have a store closer to us,” Berg explained.
She said she had to get someone to take her to a store about 20 minutes away.
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Commissioners hope the grocery store will be open by the end of 2025.
Jerrell said if it’s successful, it could become a model for other food desert areas in the county that are experiencing rapid population growth.
“This could be a replicable model for us to address and make this happen in other places,” Jerrell explained.
Before the funds are turned over to Spangles, the company must complete a checklist to ensure the store opens.
Video: Rock Hill nonprofit offers education programs to address food insecurity
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