Despite numerous setbacks in securing a grocery store, members of the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition say the opening of Three Sisters Market, a community-owned food cooperative that is planned for the corner of Romare Bearden Drive and West Boulevard, is now within sight. The co-op is expected to open in 2025. Continuing reading here.
Community Spotlight
How westside groups are working to increase food options
Four new food markets are set to come to Charlotte’s West End.
During this week’s Sarah Stevenson Tuesday Forum on Aug. 6, several organizations discussed their plans to open grocery-centered concepts and community additions.
“It takes a village to address the massive need of food insecurity that’s impacting our community,” Kimberly Scott, Mecklenburg County assistant health director, said during the forum.
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West Blvd. apartment community opens with collaboration
A 120-unit apartment community for elders has opened its doors on West Boulevard.
The Legacy at Carr Heights Senior Apartments, which hosted a ribbon-cutting on July 12, is a public-private collaboration between the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition, Westside Community Land Trust, City of Charlotte and nonprofits. The $31 million development for people aged 55 and older is named for Nathaniel Carr, a Black landowner and farmer, who along with his wife Lizzie established the neighborhood in the early 20th century.
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West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition Continues to Support Healthy Food Access for Community
The West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition was recently awarded $300,000 by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation to strengthen their capacity to advocate for healthy foods. The funding is spread over three years and will enable the Coalition to enhance their advocacy efforts to change the policy and systemic factors that limit access to healthy food. This work ultimately seeks to increase access to healthy foods for community members of the West Boulevard Corridor and surrounding neighborhoods.
“The West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition is thrilled to receive this award from the Blue Cross NC Foundation. This grant gets us one step closer to our vision for health equity and community wealth building in the West Boulevard Corridor,” said Rickey Hall, Board Chair, West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition.
The West Boulevard Corridor lacks healthy food in retail stores and there is no full-service grocery store. Plans are currently underway to build a community-owned cooperative market on West Boulevard, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. This grant funding will enable the Coalition to build relationships with local, state, and federal policymakers and elevate the voices of community members experiencing barriers to food security.
The Coalition sees firsthand the urgent need to remove these barriers at the systemic level, and we look forward to working with Blue Cross NC Foundation to move the needle, not just in the Corridor, but for citizens across the state.
West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition in Charlotte, NC
In January, Main Street America announced the launch of the Where It Starts: Breaking Barriers to Business project, a $6.3 million, multi-year program to strengthen small businesses and open career pathways for individuals in five cohort cities across the U.S. Funded by Truist Foundation and in partnership with Living Cities, the program will uplift entrepreneurs by providing them with tools and resources as well as collaboration opportunities with community leaders to break down barriers for local small business owners. The five cohort cities are Atlanta, Ga., Charlotte, N.C., Memphis, Tenn., Nashville, Tenn., and Miami, Fla. Within each city, Main Street America and Living Cities are partnering with select corridors to deepen their impact with local support.
One of the corridors is West Boulevard in Charlotte, N.C… continue reading here.