Editor’s note: A list of grants for the grocery store has been removed after the organization said its website listing was outdated.
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Construction for a new grocery store in the heart of the Capital City has yet to get started despite years of planning and fundraising.
The Central Topeka Grocery Oasis is something many locals may be familiar with hearing about ever since it first got started in 2018. The main idea behind the CTGO is to bring a 14,000 square-foot grocery store back to the area of Southwest Huntoon Street and Southwest Lane Street after the former Dillons in that location closed in 2016.
The lack of a grocery store in this area created a “food desert” for locals who must instead travel farther to get access to quality food. The CTGO wants to plug this gap with a new grocery store on one acre of land leased by GraceMed Capitol Health Clinic.
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Nadia Arbelo, executive director of the CTGO, told 27 News on Sept. 19 that her organization is still in its funding phase and needs to secure around $3 million in financial backing before it can move forward.
“Nothing is scheduled soon for the groundbreaking,” Arbelo said.
While CTGO had hoped to break ground in 2025, Arbelo said it is continuing to attract engagement from members of the community and that the CTGO has entered initial discussions with a potential grocery store for the area.
The CTGO has received support from members of the local community and continues to hold events in Topeka to raise awareness about its mission.
You can learn more about the CTGO by clicking here. If you want to help support this project, click here.
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