“I think we will know here, within the first couple of months of the closure, what the next steps are going to be in regards to getting another grocer in there,” Heck said. “We have already started reaching out to other grocery opportunities for that location and so I think we will know pretty quickly how successful we are going to be.”
Heck said while the city is in a hurry, they are also not looking for a “one size fits all solution.”
PHOTOS: Empty shelves at the South Limestone Street Kroger
“We are not only looking at putting something in that one location there, but also how do we make (south Springfield) sustainable well into the future,” Heck said. “We don’t want to be faced with another situation where a grocer goes in and then two or three years down the road we have a similar issue and they decide to close down. We want to make sure we are finding long-term solutions that are sustainable for the community.”
While the city continues to hunt for long-term solutions to Kroger’s closure, some community organizations have stepped up to fill the company’s hole in the short-term — as the south side of Springfield is now considered a food desert.
A food desert is defined as a geographic area devoid of fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods, according to the Clark County Combined Health District.
Two resources now available to residents are;
Mobile pantries
READ MORE: Foodbank to deploy more mobile pantries after Kroger closes Springfield store
Second Harvest Food Bank will deploy eight mobile pantries to the south side of Springfield beginning on Thursday.
The pantries will be disbursed throughout the south side beginning on March 5, executive director Tyra Jackson said.
The food banks’ mobile pantries directly serve clients in high need neighborhoods in an effort to supplement other hunger-relief agencies in that area, according to the food bank’s website. The pantries distribute nutritious perishable and non-perishable food for free.
“We annually serve over 37,000 individuals who are uncertain as to where their next meal will come. Food banks are uniquely positioned to help communities reduce food insecurity and we are doing just that,” Jack said. “We have the infrastructure to collect, warehouse and distribute healthy food to more than 65 distribution partners in our communities, including food pantries, churches and other smaller front line agencies.”
A mobile pantry will also be stationed in the parking lot of what was formerly Kroger at 1822 S. Limestone St, every Thursday from 10 a.m. until noon.
In addition, Jackson said the food bank is also partnering with the Springfield City School District to use their parking lots for even more mobile pantries. Those pantries will be stationed in different SCSD parking lots on Tuesday’s from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Jackson said the food bank understands that the pantries will not be the answer for all of the south side’s residents.
“We want to at least provide some solutions for some and this is a start. We are open and willing to listen to people, to have suggestions as to other things we can do,” Jackson said.
Residents can view a complete list of mobile pantry locations on the food bank's website, theshfb.org.
Free shuttles
READ MORE: John Legend announces free shuttle service after Kroger closure in Springfield
Springfield native John Legend announced on Monday that a free shuttle service will begin running on Saturday.
The service will be run by The Abilities Connection, a Springfield based non-profit organization, and the City of Springfield, Legend said in a video posted by TAC.
Shuttles will begin running on Saturday, March 7, and will pick residents up in the 1822 S. Limestone St. parking lot. Residents will then be driven to the Kroger located at 2728 E. Main St., Legend said.
Hours for the shuttle are: Wednesdays from 4:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. A full schedule of the service can be found on TAC's website.
Jim Zahora, CEO of TAC, said the non-profit has a fleet of transportation vehicles ready. The vehicles are normally used to transport community members with disabilities throughout the week, Zahora said.
“TAC is honored to partner with the city to serve our community in a time of need,” Zahora said. “We value our social responsibilities as good cooperate citizens and strongly believe in community stewardship. This is home for us and we all must work together.”
The Springfield News-Sun was the first news source to tell readers about the South Limestone Street closure. Since then, the News-Sun has provided unmatched coverage of how the closure will affect residents of the south Springfield community.
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