As part of the Healthy Campus Initiative, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County (UG) worked with local stakeholders to determine a suitable location and operator to build a grocery store in downtown Kansas City, KS. The location is in a federally designated “food desert” meaning residents lack access to healthy and fresh foods.

The NMTCs help to offset the high cost of construction and included a $70,000 charitable donation to The Merc Co+Op to pay for an Education Coordinator, $15,000 for Merc membership dues for clients on governmental food assistance (SNAP/WIC) and $5,000 to pay for scholarships for The Merc Co+Op’s culinary and heathy food education classes for low income residents in the new building’s test kitchen. The store also includes a community classroom to hold local public meetings and other educational events.