A furniture store, not a grocery store, will soon occupy the former Walmart Neighborhood Market in northeast Wichita.
Walmart closed several Neighborhood Markets in Wichita last year, including one at 13th and Oliver. American Freight, an Ohio-based furniture store known for low-cost items, will move into the space.
“We just really want to build up the business in that area and so we welcome American Freight to come in," says City Council member Lavonta Williams. "But we also have that desire and that need for groceries.”
The area is considered a food desert: a low-income neighborhood that is at least a mile away from a full-service grocery store. Williams, whose district includes the neighborhood around 13th and Oliver, says a store with fresh fruit and vegetables is still needed.
The former Walmart building sold at a lower price to a company that wanted a large space that required few renovations. American Freight is expected to open in a few weeks.
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Carla Eckels is assistant news director and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.
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