Case Study
In 2006, Kansas State held listening sessions across the state aimed at identifying challenges facing rural Kansas communities. During these sessions, the need to support rural grocery stores rose to the top.
Rural grocery stores contribute to a community by providing economic development through jobs and by contributing to the local tax base, acting as community hubs for community members to gather and connect, and serving as essential sources for healthy food options.
KSU founded the Rural Grocery Initiative (RGI) to provide resources to help sustain and enhance independently-owned rural grocery stores. RGI assists communities and citizens to strengthen rural grocery operations and improve access to healthy foods. RGI provides technical assistance to grocers and communities related to rural grocery stores and/or healthy food access, maintains a Rural Grocery Store Database, develops and maintains a collection of resources called the Rural Grocery Toolkit, hosts a National Rural Grocery Summit, conducts research on relevant rural grocery and food access issues, and partners with organizations and institutions that work to support rural grocery stores and communities.
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Case Study
In 2004, La Salle University’s Office of Community and Economic Development worked with leadership and community members to craft a realistic plan to improve the quality of life for residents around the campus. The University’s findings led them to The Reinvestment Fund (TRF), a Philadelphia-based CDFI and leader in the financing of neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing, community facilities, supermarkets, and commercial real estate. With the support of TRF, La Salle University began to develop a redevelopment strategy for its investment in the adjacent neighborhoods. The keystone of the plan was a 80,000 square foot retail center, The Shoppes at La Salle, located adjacent to the campus. The Shoppes at La Salle was anchored by a 50,000 SF Fresh Grocer, the first full-service supermarket built in the area in over 40 years. TRF facilitated $14 million in financing for the supermarket through a combination of grants and loans from Pennsylvania’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative and Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Agency, New Markets Tax Credit financing, the American Recovery and Investment Act financing, and other sources of state loan funds and leveraged financing. The Fresh Grocer opened its doors in 2009, creating more than 250 jobs, mainly filled by local residents. The store also increased access to affordable, fresh food for the residents in the underserved neighborhoods around La Salle’s campus. In addition, the construction of the store incorporated state-of-the-art energy refrigeration and energy management systems that reduce energy consumption and contribute to enhanced financial performance to ensure sustainable operations of the store.