KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A grocery store in Kansas City’s urban core will now become a reality thanks in part to a hospital. Truman Medical Center and the Hospital Hill Economic Development Corporation announced Thursday that it now officially owns the land where it had planned to build the new grocery store.
The entire city block at Troost Avenue from 27th to 26th streets is now officially the future site of a 35,000 square foot grocery store. It’s an $11.5 million project but it’s priceless to the people who say they have been living in a food desert.
Truman Medical Center already tried to address the concerns of food deserts — communities where there are few grocery stores — and the the stores that are around often don’t have fresh healthy foods. A bus filled with fresh fruits and vegetables brings the food to the food desert neighborhoods.
The Mobile Market is in front of Samuel U Rodgers Health Center Thursday afternoons. Many folks in Kansas City’s urban core have been frustrated about the lack of access to healthy food like this because grocery stores are so scarce.
“It’s fairly hard to get to grocery stores,” Robin told Fox 4 as she shopped at the Mobile Market, “the closest one is several blocks away.”
Truman Medical Center and Hospital Hill Economic Development Corporation say the new grocery store at 27th Street and Troost Avenue will focus on local food, and work with urban farmers and local companies. There will be classes teaching about healthy cooking and wellness, as well as entrepreneurial and economic programs. Some of the people at Thursday’s Mobile Market say they’re excited about this new addition to the neighborhood.
“It will truly help us out,” said shopper Jeannellen “we won’t have to go a long way.”
