Could publicly owned stores help prevent grocery deserts in Seattle?

In the wake of Kroger closing a Fred Meyer store in Lake City last October, Washington lawmakers are introducing bills to help neighborhoods recover from losing a grocery. Rep. Darya Farivar, a Seattle Democrat whose district includes Lake City, said the closure was a major disruption that resulted in a loss of jobs and the loss of food access.

“Not only was it disruptive to me, but [it] has been devastating for my neighbors who have less means than I [do], less access to transportation than I [do],” Farivar said.

One of the bills, House Bill 2313, would help cities create so-called publicly owned groceries by alleviating some of the burden to set up shop.

“If we make it possible for cities to purchase property, maybe even renovate it themselves," she said, "a grocery can come in and lease that building from them.”

Farivar says examples of publicly owned groceries already exist, like the commissaries on military bases. The bill would also allow cities to create food locker systems, or cold storage in underserved areas.