ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. \u2013 For more than a decade, residents living near Mayport have had few options when it comes to buying fresh food and groceries \u2014 a situation many describe as a food desert. <\/p>\n
Atlantic Beach Mayor Curtis Ford is proposing a plan to sell a 1.25-acre city-owned parcel on northern Mayport Road to a developer who wants to build a DG Market \u2014 a specialty offshoot of Dollar General that carries produce, meats, and refrigerated food products.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter so many years of literally having a food desert on Mayport Road, we actually have a solution,\u201d Ford said. \u201cSome may call it a partial solution because it\u2019s not a full-size grocery, but it is a significant step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
How the area became a food desert<\/p>\n
The problem has been building for years. A Food Lion closed in 2012, and Terry\u2019s Country Store \u2014 a beloved local mom-and-pop shop \u2014 shut its doors in 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cTerry\u2019s Country Store was a mom-and-pop food store that had meats, seafood, produce \u2014 all the things that we are missing,\u201d Ford said. \u201cIt really has become an issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, the nearest full-service options are miles away. For residents without a car, the distances are especially difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have so many people that literally walk to Walgreens to buy what little product they can find there and they walk home with a grocery bag,\u201d Ford said.<\/p>\n
One resident told News4JAX the lack of grocery access has influenced their decision to possibly leave. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re planning on moving out because of that,\u201d the resident said.<\/p>\n
What the proposal includes<\/p>\n
The city of Atlantic Beach owns the 1.25-acre parcel, acquired in the 1990s as part of its purchase of the Buccaneer Water Service. Mayor Ford says the land is currently zoned for mobile home use, meaning a zoning change through the city of Jacksonville would be required before development could begin.<\/p>\n
A developer has submitted an offer of approximately $875,000. The city is now pursuing a formal appraisal before bringing a finalized contract back to the City Commission. If approved, Dollar General representatives told the commission the store could be built within 12 to 14 months.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a fiduciary responsibility to the citizens of Atlantic Beach to know that number on a true market,\u201d Ford said.<\/p>\n
Residents have mixed reactions<\/p>\n
Not everyone is on board. While some residents welcome any new food option, others raised concerns about the location \u2014 including parking near an elementary school.<\/p>\n
\u201cI personally don\u2019t think it would be a good idea because we have a school that\u2019s directly across the street from it,\u201d one resident said. \u201cA lot of the parents don\u2019t have anywhere to park when they come to pick up their children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ford emphasized the proposal would serve residents well beyond Atlantic Beach \u2014 including those in Mayport Village near the ferry landing.<\/p>\n
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