To combat food insecurity, Atlanta officials partnered with local companies to provide fresh and affordable options to downtown residents, workers, and college students.
The two-story Azalea Market, located at 25 Peachtree St., plans to serve 5,500 shoppers per day.
“We have been in a food desert for far too long. We have to make sure we bring fresh food to where people are, where they live, where they go to work, and where students are — and this is the solution right here,” Dickens told reporters during a press tour last week.
According to Invest Atlanta, the mayor targeted food insecurity aggressively with a commitment to ensure that at least 85% of Atlanta residents are within a half mile of fresh and affordable food by 2025. The plan included “prioritizing investments in programs that attract supermarkets and grocery stores; expand, retain, and improve corner and neighborhood markets; support innovative food access models; and drive policy, system, and environment change.”
The downtown venture is a partnership between Atlanta officials, local organizations, Savi Provisions, and Independent Grocers Alliance. The grocery store design, along with the art and other displays, was developed by 60 students from SCAD Atlanta.
According to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, 14.9% of Georgia residents and 19.6% of children are food insecure. Azalea market will provide people in low-income areas with access to affordable fresh produce, packaged goods, and grab-and-go meals.
The new grocery is located in a former Walgreens in the historic Olympia Building that many local residents and Georgia State University students in the Five Points area used to count on for daily essentials.
The market, across from Woodruff Park, aligns with the mayor’s ambitious plans to redevelop the downtown area to pull in new businesses, attractions, and residents.
“This is a place where no matter who you are, no matter what your income is, you can get some quality groceries at a good price,” said Dickens. “Every family in Atlanta deserves access to fresh, healthy foods.”
The administration reportedly plans to open a second Azalea Fresh Market at a yet-to-be identified location.
