Atlantic Beach city commissioners are reviewing plans for a Dollar General Market to add a grocery store in an area that lost two grocers in the past 15 years.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One of the largest food deserts in Duval County could get a little help.
The City of Atlantic Beach is exploring a chance to build a grocery store on Mayport Road near Hanna Park.
The City of Atlantic Beach purchased the property near the intersection of Wonderwood Driver and Mayport Road, which lies within the Jacksonville city limits, decades ago
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However, the commission could be willing to part ways with it if it means adding an oasis in the food desert.
“I rely on my trike,” said Joseph Merle, who lives near Mayport Road. “So, it’s much easier to have a corner store where you can drive by, get the stuff you need. Milk, coffee, bread, instead of going to Publix.”
Merle used to regularly ride up to Terry’s Country Store on Mayport Road to get that stuff, but after it closed in 2022, he finds himself taking much longer trips.
“I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one, but a lot of neighborhood people miss it,” said Merle.
Between Terry’s closing and the Food Lion leaving Mayport back in 2012, Merle now rides his trike through what the USDA considers a food desert, a low-income census tract where a significant number of residents live more than a mile from the nearest large grocery store or supermarket.
A USDA map shows the desert stretches all the way from Atlantic Boulevard to the St. Johns River and from Mayport Road to the Intracoastal.
“There’s a lot of people I see up and down with the little grocery cart, walking up and down miles to get to a spot to get groceries,” said Merle.
Atlantic Beach city leaders have a plan that could cut that trek down drastically, and it involves a parcel near Mayport Road and Wonderwood Drive the city bought decades ago next to a water treatment facility.
“That parcel is sitting as surplus.” said Atlantic Beach Mayor Curtis Ford. “Not being used by the City of Atlantic Beach, not bringing any value.”
The proposal is for a Dollar General Market to fill the 1.25 acre parcel.
“Not a Dollar General store,” said Ford. “This is a DG Market, which is focused on things like produce, meats, dairy and so on.”
After the area lost two grocery stores in the past 15 years or so, it could get two back.
The DG Market would be one, and the team behind the Creative Cook, a boutique grocery store, butcher shoppe and Chef’s Table said they’re about a month or two away from opening at the old Terry’s Country Store location.
“As we continue to partner with Jacksonville on rebuilding the village out at Mayport, we need to take care of the people who live there and provide food,” said Ford.
The mayor mentioned there still needs to be a final vote before everything is set in stone, but his understanding is, if approved, it’d take about 14 months until we see folks checking out with carts full of groceries at the DG Market.