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New grocery store to end 30-year food desert in this west Charlotte neighborhood
The West Boulevard neighborhood is considered a food desert with no reliable access to affordable and nutritious food.
“I do not know if this community understands how unlevel the playing field has been,” said Janiqua Jackson, the general manager of the planned Three Sisters Market.
The Market will be a 12,000 square foot grocery store located at West Boulevard and Clanton Road.
“Children especially, they need real food like produce,” said Tasha Williams, who lives in the neighborhood and likes the idea.
Tommy Neal, a longtime resident, believes local leaders have neglected what he calls “the hood.” He supports the idea too.
“When it comes to the struggle, there’s no help,” he said. “There’s no assistance.”
The nonprofit, West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition, is spearheading the Three Sisters Market.
It already runs an urban farm called Seeds For Change, where co-op leaders plan to grow produce for the store.
“This is a basic expectation you have in where you live, work and play, is that you do have access to a full-service retail grocery store,” said Guy Cousins, the board chair of Three Sisters Market.
Three Sisters is a cooperative, or co-op, which means it’s community-owned and operated. There’s no corporate entity or oversight.
Nearly 500 people in the neighborhood have bought in so far.
The city and Mecklenburg County have committed a total of $4.5 million as well.
Cousins says he expects to break ground by early next year.
“Especially for a person that ain’t got no transportation, that’ll be nice to have something in the community like that,” said Fred Alexander, a resident. “That’ll be just great.”
On the co-op’s website, it states that access to fresh, nutritious food is a fundamental right.
The general manager, Jackson, calls what they’re doing a movement.
“This community has been lacking valuable nutrients and resources that are necessities to living and being valuable assets to this community,” she said.
The Three Sisters name is a tribute to Dorothy Waddy, Luciel McNeel, and Amay M. James, who were longtime leaders and social justice advocates in the West Boulevard Corridor.
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