The Northside Food Co-op is a community-owned cooperative that plans to open a grocery store on the Northside of downtown. The neighborhood has been without a grocery store for more than 30 years and has been identified as a food desert.
Frankie’s Outdoor market was recently created to help achieve that goal. Local farmers and vendors sell items such as meat and produce for an affordable price every Saturday at 1019 Princess Street.
Evan Folds, Project Manager of The Northside Food Co-op says, the new funds will help provide more resources for the community and the co-op owners.
“It also allows us to start to make investments and very strategic places such as a high flow Aro, a reverse osmosis water system, for example, that's going to allow us to provide free water to the community and to the owners of the co-op in a way that can bring value to being an owner," he said.
Mayor Bill Saffo applauded the work that has been done by the Northside Food Co-op, and said the city will continue to help the co-op address this ongoing issue.
The resolution to provide the funds passed unanimously.
