A community group is working with city officials and developers to open a new grocery store in the Montbello neighborhood of Denver.
The project aims to eliminate Montbello's classification as a food desert. By providing local access to fresh groceries, the initiative seeks to improve health outcomes for residents who previously lacked nearby options for nutritious food.
The store will be located at a strip-mall site at 46th Avenue and Peoria Street [1, 2]. According to project plans, the new grocery facility will occupy three former storefronts [1].
This grocery store is part of a larger $97 million redevelopment project [2]. The broader initiative is designed to revitalize the area through infrastructure improvements and commercial growth, integrating the store into a wider community hub.
Project timelines indicate the store was slated to open in 2025 [2]. The overall redevelopment project is expected to be completed next year [2].
The effort involves a collaboration between local community organizers, city officials, and private developers to ensure the site meets the specific needs of the Montbello population [1, 2].
“The project aims to eliminate Montbello's classification as a food desert.”
The transition of a strip-mall site into a grocery hub represents a targeted urban planning strategy to combat food insecurity. By leveraging a multi-million dollar redevelopment fund, the city is attempting to address systemic gaps in food access that often correlate with lower-income neighborhoods, potentially reducing long-term public health costs associated with food deserts.
