Congresswoman Cori Bush says solutions to community problems often lie within the community residents themselves.
Erica Williams is an example.
The Nexus grocery store will feature local urban farmers’ produce, a bistro serving grab-and-go-meals made with farm fresh produce, and a shared culinary kitchen and small-scale production space for chefs.
Williams wanted a full-service grocery store in her North County neighborhood since 2018 when a Shop `n Save outlet closed. She contacted other grocery chains, but she was not successful in convincing them to open a store at a nearby location.
So, Williams decided to find partners and build a grocery store herself to provide food for an area that is defined as a food desert – a place that lacks access to affordable, healthy foods.
Williams, founder and executive director of A Red Circle, recently walked with Bush, residents, farmers, volunteers, and stakeholders on a tour of The North County Community Nexus on Saturday June 4, 2023. The 44,000 square-foot building is in Bellefontaine Neighbors at 9300 Lewis and Clark Blvd.
A Red Circle, a non-profit organization, received nearly $1.5 million in federal funding through the Economic Development Initiative/Community Project Funding program of the U.S. Congress to build the store.
The Nexus grocery store will feature local urban farmers’ produce, a bistro serving grab-and-go-meals made with farm fresh produce, and a shared culinary kitchen and small-scale production space for chefs.
The building will also house the Learning and Opportunity Center for community service programming, education about nutrition and healthy foods, and a space for small businesses.
The store will employ about 20 people and is scheduled to open in spring of 2025. A manager will come on board in October, according to Williams.
Williams said The Nexus will be at the “intersection of health and wealth in North County.”
The Learning and Opportunity Center will also open in spring of 2025, and the rest of the building will open in 2026.
“The Nexus could be a model for how communities solve their own problems, Bush,” said.
“People are able to see that the community is investing in the community. We don’t have to go outside the community to find amazing people doing amazing work. We take care of our own.”
Bush said her office received 97 applications for funding through the Project Funding program, and 15 received awards.
All of them are important, Bush said, but the Red Circle’s application resonated with her because it addresses a problem that Bush’s constituents have brought to her attention – a lack of access to healthy food.
“I distinctly remember choosing this [project] and how it stood out to me,” Bush said, adding that Red Circle serves 280,000 people at or below the poverty line.
Founded in 2017, A Red Circle’s mission is to address racial disparities in North St. Louis County. The organization’s goals include increasing inclusion in the arts, education justice, and healthy food access.
Bush said lack of access to healthy food and the creation of food deserts is a form of “policy violence.”
“We have to call it that and The Nexus pushes against this policy violence,” Bush said.
Jazz Armstrong, owner of JiggaJuiced Up, gave Bush a hug and thanked her for her work in Congress.Â
An attendee used her cell phone to show Bush her dream food truck and the Congresswoman offered the budding entrepreneur encouragement.
“This is truly what investing in community looks like,” Bush said.
We see what the future of North County looks like and what the future holds for our residents. Today is the beginning of a great and historic chapter.”
