DENVER — A neighborhood group in Montbello is one step closer to building a grocery store in an area that's been considered a food desert for years.
The Montbello Organizing Committee (MOC) last week closed on its purchase of an old RTD Park-n-Ride on Albrook Drive, about a block east of Peoria Street.
The committee wants to use the site for its proposed Fresh-Lo project, which includes a grocery store and a cultural hub with nearly 100 affordable housing units.
A Safeway in the area closed its doors more than four years ago, and neighbors say the Family Dollar on Peoria is one of Montbello’s best options for groceries.
So the MOC has been appealing to private investors and applying for tax credits and government grants to bring a full-fledged grocery store back to the community.
The group said the store and cultural hub will cost about $40 million.
They hope to have it move-in ready by 2022.
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