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Jim’s Local Market (Proposed)

12/18/2014 8:16 AM by

RRHA has been acquiring lots and clearing structures from the 1300 blocks of 24th and 25th Streets and the adjacent block along Nine Mile since at least 2006.

At a 7th District meeting back in late 2006, a grocery store at 25th and Nine Mile was promised for the near future (“more towards 2 years than 5 or 10”). Mayor Jones reiterated the notion back in 2012. Maybe, just maybe, the time is now?

A September post on UVA’s The Hedgehog Review “Richmond and the Future of Local Food” has some details on what the Jim’s Local Market could be:

Jim Scanlon, a 40-year veteran of the grocery business, resigned just last week from his role as Regional Vice President of Martin’s Food Marts where he oversaw all of Martin’s 34 stores in Virginia. In his new venture, he is pursuing a plan that he has been quietly developing for the better part of a decade.

In 2015, he hopes to break ground on Jim’s Local Market in Richmond’s East End, less than a mile from the bulk of Richmond’s public housing units. His store will leverage his expertise and relationships in the grocery industry to provide the same variety, quality, and prices of national chains, something small independents are not typically able to do.

Meanwhile, his independent community-focused store will have the freedom to source from small local providers, provide incentives for low-income shoppers, and partner with the local health experts to provide educational programming. Finally, community members will help determine how a percentage of the pre-tax profits are returned to the neighborhood.

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