The state awarded $1.5 million toward construction of a full-service grocery store in North Omaha that civic and nonprofit leaders say aims to expand access to fresh food and create employment opportunities for residents.
Project and funding details
The market, to be run as a social enterprise by the nonprofit Heart Ministry Center, is planned on vacant land southwest of 25th and Lake streets. Officials said the store will be about 25,000 square feet and that preliminary estimates put the total project cost at roughly $7 million.
- The grocery will operate as a social enterprise and is intended to hire from Heart Ministry Center’s Fresh Start job training program.
- Officials said the store will offer fresh, affordable food in a neighborhood that has been without a full-service grocery for decades.
- The state grant is part of a program described as aimed at reviving areas hit hardest by the pandemic.
“A grocery store may seem like one building, but what we’re really celebrating today is access, dignity, opportunity and investment in the future of North Omaha,” Mayor John Ewing Jr. said at the groundbreaking.
Omaha City Council member LaVonya Goodwin, whose district includes the site, noted it has been 58 years since the neighborhood had a full-service grocery. She described the project as a commitment to restoring economic opportunity and services in the area.
Workforce and community aims
Heart Ministry Center’s Fresh Start program was cited by officials as the primary workforce pipeline for the project. The program provides job training and hands-on experience for people the organization serves, including those overcoming crises and seeking stable employment.
At the groundbreaking, Mayor Ewing and other officials framed the store as not only a retail facility but also an investment in jobs, neighborhood services and economic dignity for historically underserved residents of North Omaha.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Store size | 25,000 sq ft |
| State grant | $1.5 million |
| Estimated project cost | About $7 million |
The project was described at the event as a social enterprise model rather than a conventional private supermarket chain expansion. Organizers said the intent is to combine retail operations with workforce development to produce both jobs and career pathways for neighborhood residents.
Officials at the groundbreaking said the store will supply fresh groceries and create employment opportunities for community members, including graduates of the Fresh Start program.
