Fiscal Note
No fiscal impact at this time. It should be noted that the proposed $300,000 is unbudgeted for the 2015 fiscal year and will require a future appropriation if a proposal is selected by the Common Council.
Title
Authorizing the Mayor to issue a Request for Proposals ("RFP") for a full-service affordable grocery store located south of the Verona Road and Beltline Highway interchange with up to $300,000 of financing assistance from the City of Madison in the form of a low-interest and/or forgivable loan.
Body
WHEREAS, in October 2014, Mayor Soglin directed staff to begin exploring options to secure a full-service food retailer located adjacent to the Allied Drive neighborhood; and,
WHEREAS, in November 2014, the Common Council adopted a resolution that officially created an Allied Neighborhood Staff Team that would work to improve conditions in the neighborhood within three priority areas: access to full-service affordable grocery, additional community services and/or centers, and economic development planning; and,
WHEREAS, the Common Council requested staff to deliver a report by December 15, 2014, that outlined aggressive options to secure an affordable full-service grocery to the Allied Drive/Verona Road Commercial district; and,
WHEREAS, the Common Council unanimously accepted the staff report on January 20, 2015, where one of the recommendations called for $300,000 of support from the City of Madison in the form of a low-interest and/or forgivable loan in order to attract and secure an affordable full-service grocery to the commercial area adjacent to the neighborhood; and,
WHEREAS, based on a recent staff report, there are over 250 individuals that do not have access to a vehicle and many relied on the Walgreens as a point of food purchasing; and,
WHEREAS, the alderperson of the district and City staff have met extensively with neighborhood residents to better understand the impact of long-existing challenges relating to food access; a...
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