VIA INVEST ATLANTA
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Opening New Doors
Food Deserts
More than $8.1 million in funding approved by the Invest Atlanta Board will be used to open two new grocery stores in Atlanta food deserts, offering a wide variety of affordable fresh produce, meats, dairy products and other essential grocery items. The first location in Southwest Atlanta will be a municipal grocery store, known as Azalea Fresh Market, operated by Savi Provisions under a sublease agreement with Invest Atlanta. An additional location in Downtown will be operated by Savi Provisions through a sublease agreement with an existing tenant. It’s all part of a partnership with the City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta to increase access to healthy, affordable food options in low food access neighborhoods. Savi Provisions was selected to operate the stores through a competitive request for proposals process. Both locations will offer convenient hours to accommodate diverse schedules and serve as welcoming community hubs. To promote accessibility, the City will support affordability by accepting SNAP benefits and providing special promotions and discounts.
These initiatives have the potential to drive lasting impact, addressing key health challenges such as obesity and hypertension while also enhancing student attendance and academic performance. By partnering with local farmers and vendors, these stores will not only supply fresh food, they will also stimulate economic development within the community. This includes creating 80 jobs with an estimated economic impact of $21 million. For far too long, traditional grocery operators have neglected these neighborhoods, which has created negative health outcomes for our community. We are proud to be a local business supporting our fellow residents with affordable groceries and high-paying jobs. This is truly a game changer for the city of Atlanta.
USDA “food deserts” are identified by census tracts with low-income populations living in areas with low access to fresh foods. Invest Atlanta specifically prioritizes the USDA food deserts identified as having low access to fresh food within one half- mile, though the USDA also identifies food desert census tracts at the one-mile threshold for urban areas and 10-mile threshold for rural areas.
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— P aul Nair, CEO, Savi Provisions
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