Plans to redevelop a long-abandoned New Orleans supermarket will include help from the city.
Thursday's announcement from Mayor Mitch Landrieu's office says major funding for the project will come from the New Orleans Fresh Food Retailer Initiative, which is funded by federal block grants and the nonprofit Hope Enterprise Corporation.
The 60,000 square-foot property on Broad Street in New Orleans' Mid City neighborhood was once a Schwegmann's supermarket. Whole Foods Market said this week it will open a store there as part of a larger redevelopment project.
That project is being developed by the non-profit organization, Broad Community Connections. The Fresh Food Retailer Initiative is offering a $1 million loan to the group. Also involved is The Food Trust, a nonprofit that works to improve availability of healthy food.