EAST HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) — Analysts predict the war in Iran could soon lead to sticker shock in a grocery aisle near you.
That news comes as New York City Mayor Mamdani announces plans for city-owned grocery stores are moving forward.
Mamdani says the goal is to provide more affordable, healthy food options for low-income New Yorkers, and that he plans to deliver on a core campaign promise of city-owned grocery stores.
The mayor says those stores will not only provide affordable, healthy food for those in need, but also create jobs.
The mayor laid out the concept in a speech touting his achievements in his first 100 days in office.
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Mamdani says he plans to eventually open five city-owned grocery stores, one in each borough, with the first going up at the La Marqueta site in East Harlem next year.
Mamdani said that between 2013 and 2023 grocery prices spiked by roughly 66 percent, well ahead of the national average, and that those costs hit hard in areas like East Harlem, where he notes nearly 40 percent of households received food assistance within the past year.
The mayor says these new city-owned grocery stores follow in the footsteps of former mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.
Nearly 90 years ago, LaGuardia opened what’s become La Marqueta as a place for food vendors to sell lower-cost goods.
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The plan is now receiving criticism for a $30 million price tag for that first store site, plus waiving rent and taxes for all five stores, but Mamdani is firing back at naysayers who say competition could be too much for the city.
Mamdani expects to see the city grocery store at La Marqueta open next year, followed by a city-owned grocery store in every borough by the end of his term.
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