NORFOLK, Va. - The Norfolk City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to provide support that will bring a new grocery store to the Berkley Shopping Center.
The announcement was made by Mayor Kenny Alexander. He says the council is working with the community and a local business to create a solution to bring a locally-owned grocery store to the southside.
In the ordinance, council members say they wish to provide funds to the city's Economic Development Authority to make a $400,000 loan to Berkley Supermarket, LLC and a $500,000 grant to allow the business to open and operate a store in the shopping center.
Last summer's closing of the Save-A-Lot grocery store in the St. Paul's area of the city caught the attention of city leaders, including the mayor, who said they were going to find solutions for the community. Many of the people who live in the area are low-income residents.
At a community food giveaway in June, Alexander said the city was continuing to find ways to make sure neighbors can have access to a nearby grocery store without having to travel.
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"We continue to work with grocers and investors, co-ops and any person who's in that supply chain to bring a grocery store," the mayor told News 3 at the time. "Not only here, but to Berkley and other parts of our community that are experiencing a food desert or food crisis."
