Zohran Mamdani championed the idea of New York City-run grocery stores throughout his successful campaign for mayor. He has said he views it as an opportunity to address affordability and to give the public a choice.
But in a city where capitalism reigns supreme, Mamdani’s proposal has faced significant opposition. The democratic socialist’s road to having it adopted will hinge on a variety of factors, including City Council and state support.
Mamdani has said his plan “is part of a vision of a public option for produce, an understanding that for far too many New Yorkers, groceries are out of reach, and the importance in city government of reasonable policy experimentation.”
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Mamdani’s city-run grocery store plan
The initiative, which Mamdani says will cost $60 million, would put at least one city-run store in each borough, focusing on food deserts, or areas with limited access to full-service supermarkets, and is not about making a profit. It counts on the city covering rent and property taxes to pass savings to consumers…