CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Mayor Lori Lightfoot went to the West Side to announce that nearly $50 million in community development grants will support 79 economic development projects in Chicago neighborhoods.
Among those projects will be the reopening of six Save-A-Lot grocery stores on Chicago’s South and West Sides.
“We need to be solving problems, one of which is making sure that we continue to eliminate the food deserts that plague too many of our communities,” Lightfoot said. “One of those solutions that’s getting support today is from Yellow Banana, which will be acquiring and refurbishing six Save-A-Lots across the city.”
The Cleveland-based Yellow Banana is getting $13.5 million to reopen the stores in Auburn Gresham, Morgan Park, South Chicago, South Shore, West Garfield Park, and West Lawn.
Yellow Banana is a Black-owned business that currently operates dozens of Save-A-Lot stores in Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Jacksonville, and Dallas.
Recently, Lightfoot and several Chicago alderpersons have criticized Aldi and Whole Foods for closing locations across Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.
Chicago Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Maurice Cox said another goal of the plan is to create 15-minute neighborhoods.
“That’s 15 minutes from your door to the services you need,” Cox said.
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