In a major step toward establishing a community-owned grocery store in South St. Petersburg, the One Community Grocery Co-op (OCGC) has officially executed a $50,000 predevelopment funding agreement with the City of St. Petersburg.
The newly secured municipal funds will support essential initial groundwork, including market analyses, business modeling, site selection, training, and community engagement expansion.
“This agreement represents an investment not only in the development of a grocery store, but also in the capacity of South St. Petersburg residents to organize, learn, plan, and be an important part of our local food system,” said Erica “Zenzele” Hardison, Board President and Lead Steward of OCGC. “There is significant work ahead of us, and this funding gives us additional resources to do that work thoughtfully and responsibly.”…