KANSAS CITY, Mo — There’s been a gap in south Kansas City, Missouri, since the beginning of this year when a neighborhood grocery store closed.
KCMO city officials announced in May that its replacement would be the Red Bridge Farm Fresh Market.
KSHB 41 learned Monday night the community could see work starting on the new store as early as January.
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It was a topic of discussion at the South Kansas City Alliance's regular neighborhood meeting as residents get closer to a year without a neighborhood grocery store.
"That area has become a food desert when the Sun Fresh Market closed," said John Sharp, president of the South Kansas City Alliance.
The store's closing forced people who live in the area to make adjustments to their daily routine.
"It was a loss for the neighborhood. No one wants to live in a food desert," said Johnnie Wilson, a resident who's lived in the area for 19 years. "We want to have nutrition and local products and not have to travel so far for groceries we need for the family."
Sharp said he goes to local Price Choppers, but their options in the area are limited.
Owen Buckley, president of Lane4 Property Group, which owns and manages the shopping center, showed up to Monday's meeting to reassure residents of what's to come.
"This store will be big on produce, meats, bakery, natural and organic," Buckley said.
Wilson said he is on board with the vision for the store, but he would like them to consider including local businesses in the plan too.
"We're like any other family. We shop our local businesses and their BBQ sauce; what KC is used to," Wilson said. "When we have a grocery store coming to our community, we want to make sure they're housing and shelfing some of our local businesses to support them."
Even though the community has to hang tight until late spring or early summer, for some people, it's worth the wait.
"You may have to travel a little bit further, but you can be patient knowing something very nice is coming back that's closer to home," Wilson said.
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