"Mayor Johnson Explores City-Owned Grocery Store to Address North Columbia's Food Deserts"

Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago has announced a partnership with the Economic Security Project to explore the possibility of opening a municipally owned grocery store in the city. This initiative aims to address food equity and accessibility issues, particularly in underserved communities on the South and West sides of Chicago. The collaboration will involve a feasibility study to determine the pathway towards establishing the first municipally owned grocery store in the city. The closure of several grocery stores in these areas has exacerbated existing inequities in food access. The findings of the study will inform the city's food retail strategy, with input from experts, community leaders, and Chicago's Food Equity Council. If successful, Chicago would become the first major city in the United States to implement a municipally owned grocery store to tackle food inequity.