JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Planning Commission voted Jan. 22 to endorse a compromise plan for expansion of Apna Bazar, a grocery store and market that drew opposition in 2025 over a plan to add a slaughterhouse to its property, our news partners at the Jacksonville Daily Record reported.
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After hearing a representative of Apna Bazar say the owner had “unequivocally” abandoned the proposed meat processing facility, the commission voted in favor of a land use amendment and rezoning for the store at 11153 Beach Blvd.
The vote came over opposition from several residents living near the store, who said the compromise plan would still be detrimental to their neighborhood.
The land use amendment, contained in Ordinance 2025-0487, would change 1.81 acres of the property to Community/General Commercial from Low Density Residential. Rezoning Ordinance 2025-0488 would change 6.82 acres to Planned Unit Development from Residential Low Density-60 and Commercial Community General-2.
Live-animal processing would not be among permitted uses of the property under the amendment and rezoning, which now advance to the Jacksonville City Council Land Use and Zoning Committee.
In November 2025, Apna Bazar owner Mohammed Faisal issued a statement he had withdrawn a request to build a 30,000-square-foot addition and a 23,800-square-foot freestanding structure east of the store where poultry, lambs, goats and cows were to be processed in accordance with Islamic dietary laws.
The withdrawal came after the slaughterhouse drew sharp criticism from animal rights activists and nearby residents, who expressed concerns with potential health risks and noise pollution.
In late November, Council voted to send legislation for rezoning and a land use amendment for Beach Boulevard grocer Apna Bazar back through its hearing process before the Jacksonville Planning Commission and the Land Use and Zoning Committee.
At that time, Council President Kevin Carrico, who represents the district encompassing the property and neighborhood, struck a verbal agreement between residents and Apna Bazar to rerefer the bill to consider CGC land use.
Click here to read the full story on the Jacksonville Daily Record’s website.