Bids for supermarket near Griffin Heights

Cynthia Moore remembers a time, not so long ago, when she and her neighbors in Griffin Heights could go grocery shopping and be home again in a matter of minutes.

The 63-year-old knows the neighborhood better than most, having lived there her entire life. The neighborhood, located in zip code area 32304 and considered the poorest zip code area in Florida, has changed a lot since she was a girl. For many, the changes have not been for the better, with crime and drug activity on the rise.

A welcome change is coming: a new grocery store at 1309 Alabama St., just feet from Moore’s front door and a one-stop location for her neighbors. Seniors with limited mobility and residents without cars rely on public transportation or ride-sharing apps to reach the nearest grocery store, which is at least five miles away.

“By them opening this store that we so desperately need,” Moore said, “there are a lot of people, even the elderly, that I believe will just walk into the store because it’s a little exercise for them. It’s going to be a big (celebration) when they open this door because this store is going to help a lot of people.”

More about the Griffin Heights neighborhood

Griffin Heights has been designated a food desert following the closure of Winn-Dixie on Tharpe Street in 2018.

It is located northwest of downtown Tallahassee and north of the West Tennessee Street edges of Florida State University, with Frenchtown as its closest neighbor to the west.

According to the Griffin Heights Neighborhood First Plan, a 50-page city-led document outlining its history, needs and goals, the neighborhood has “expanded from the core streets of Abraham and Birmingham and a few connecting streets over the past four to five decades. It now includes several new streets and housing units, including the Griffin College Heights subdivision.”

The historic neighborhood was once home to grocery stores like Hayward’s and Davis’ on Birmingham Street and Bennett’s on Alabama Street, where the new store will be located. All are gone, leaving only memories for residents who still remember.

“In addition to these stores, Griffin Heights relied heavily on the shopping centers, restaurants, and health care services in nearby communities. Frenchtown served as a commercial center for Griffin Heights residents with businesses such as Ashmore’s Drug Store, the Snack Bar teen center, barbershops, gas stations, clothing stores, dry cleaners, a movie theater, and other businesses along the corridors of Brevard Street in Springfield and Old Bainbridge Road. … Because of the neighborhood’s proximity, children and families often walked to Jitney Jungle on Tharpe Street, a grocery store chain.”

—Griffin Heights Neighborhood First plan

The neighborhood has seen modest growth. Griffin Heights’ population was recorded at 5,478 in 2018, and has grown by over 13% since 2000.

What’s the next step for the new supermarket?

Residents have long complained that there is not enough fresh food, such as meat, fruit and vegetables, available in the area.

In 2021, city commissioners approved the Griffin Heights Neighborhood First Plan as part of the Neighborhood Public Safety Initiative, and a new grocery store was deemed a high priority. A year later, city and county commissioners on the Intergovernmental Agency Board, which financed Blueprint overseas sales tax funds, approved the purchase of the former grocery store site on Alabama Street.

The quarter lot was purchased for $170,000 through the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality, which later transferred ownership to the City of Tallahassee. In July 2023, the second of two community engagement meetings, the city hosted an information session that gave residents a glimpse of potential uses.

At the time, some residents expressed deep concern about how the proposed plan missed the mark when it came to ideas for grab-and-go meals. Some felt the approach felt forced and out of step with what the predominantly black neighborhood wanted, as previously reported.

Opening a grocery store in Griffin Heights has two goals: first build the building, then find a salesperson.

“The first part is building the building,” said John Baker, policy and program development manager for the city of Tallahassee. “So that’s the physical part, where we have the Invitation to Bid to find a contractor to build the store. The second part would be putting out a (Request for Proposals) to find a vendor to operate the store on behalf of the community in the area.

“They’re looking for a healthy store,” Baker said, describing feedback from residents. “They’re not looking for a place that sells tobacco, alcohol and things like that. They’re looking for a place that sells a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables and other grocery items.”

Baker could not provide a specific timeline for when construction could begin, adding that the invitation to bid has now been issued. His department will make a recommendation to the City Commission at a later date. If all goes well, construction could begin in the fall.

This isn’t the first time the city of Tallahassee has made an effort to provide impoverished areas with fresh food options. In South City, Baker said, the city partnered with the Greater Bond Neighborhood to open a farmers market that’s been around for about four years.

“When we did the Griffin Heights Neighborhood First planning process, bringing a grocery store back into that community was their biggest issue,” Baker said, referring to residents. “In the ’50s and ’60s, the (Alabama Street location) was the Bennett store. Most recently, the building we demolished was called the All In One Supermarket.”

The demolition happened about four months ago, Moore said, and she made sure to take photos of the moment for prosperity and hope for the future.

For her and many other residents, the store can’t come soon enough: “It’s almost like a parade, because when they start, it’s just traffic driving by,” Moore said excitedly.

Contact economic development reporter TaMaryn Waters at [email protected] and follow @TaMarynWaters on X.