By Howard Packowitz and Blake Haas
BLOOMINGTON – Community activists hope momentum is on their side to open a grocery store in west Bloomington.
The goal is to provide residents with a place to buy groceries in a neighborhood considered for years as a food desert, and to return West Market Street to its former glory as Bloomington’s gateway.
The West Market Street Council signed an agreement to buy a shopping plaza at Market and Howard Streets. A non-profit food store would be there, next to Rosy’s Mexican Grill and various other businesses including a yoga studio, a clothing store, and a job training site.
West Market Street Plaza’s owner Ragesh Kumar will sell the property if the council comes up with an undisclosed amount of money in the next year.
The council’s Alvin Barnes is handling the financing for the sale.
“I look forward to working with the community, as well as my committee members as it relates to the financial aspect of this,” said the council’s Alvin Barnes, who’s in charge of securing the financing.
“We have quite a bit of work to to do in terms of the one year time span, but I’m encouraged that we’ll get there,” Barnes said.
Council President Arthur Haynes plans on relocating his business, Silver Black Apparel Company and One Stop Print Shop, to the site.
“There are few opportunities for residents, especially youth, to earn money in west Bloomington. It’s almost as difficult to spend money in west Bloomington, whether you want to buy groceries or purchase any other products or services,” said Haynes.
“West Bloomington residents have to travel out of the neighborhood to spend their money,” Haynes said.
Project coordinator Laurie Bell said the worst thing that could happen is to start the work and not get it done.
“We’re going to have to figure this out, and we’re going to have to consult with a lot of people, with our city, with our community, with people who know what they’re doing , step-by-step-by-step, we will figure this out,” said Bell.
Bell said there will be a community forum at Rosy’s Mexican Grill on October 15 at 6 p.m.
At the meeting, the council will unveil a business plan for the grocery store and report on how the council is doing in securing financing.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected]
