JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new Winn-Dixie has opened in Jacksonville’s Brentwood neighborhood, bringing fresh groceries closer to residents who worried the area could become a food desert after the closure of a nearby Harveys Supermarket.
Shoppers told News4JAX the store fills a critical need in a community where many residents lack reliable transportation and previously had to travel farther for groceries.
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“It’s nice. It’s wonderful. I love the produce and the fruit. It looked very fresh,” shopper Tammy Sowell said.
Sowell said she previously traveled to Walmart on Lem Turner Road to buy groceries.
“This is much more convenient,” she said.
The store’s opening comes after uncertainty about its future. The location was originally slated to close after being converted from a Harveys Supermarket.
However, during discussions over a $12 million incentive package approved by the Jacksonville City Council to keep Winn-Dixie’s headquarters in Jacksonville, the company committed to keeping the Brentwood store open.
Residents said the decision will especially benefit seniors and people without access to vehicles.
“It’s really important because you have to have a store in the middle of the neighborhood,” shopper Jarred Mebane said. “You prevent a food desert and people going way out. You have senior citizens close by, so having a store close by is really important for them.”
Kathryn Grover said the store makes grocery shopping more accessible.
“It makes it convenient for us to be able to get what we need rather than have to go all across town,” Grover said. “Everybody don’t have a car. Everybody’s not able, and I’m one of them.”
Sowell said many residents feared losing easy access to groceries when Harveys closed.
“Of course I’m happy to see this,” she said. “You have so many elderly people in this community and so many people that don’t have transportation. It would have been a big problem for a lot of people. It’s such a blessing for the community.”
The agreement between Winn-Dixie and the city also includes a safeguard for the neighborhood. If the company closes the Brentwood store in the future, it would have 18 months to open another grocery store in the area. The requirement applies to Winn-Dixie stores located in economically distressed communities.