Food deserts are a real problem in southern Dallas.
For decades, City Hall has tried to lure grocers south of Interstate 30 fresh, healthy food is difficult to find.
In the Highland Hills neighborhood of Oak Cliff, families have been without a grocery store for nearly a decade, but relief is on the way.
Save-A-Lot Food Store will open Thursday on the 3500 block of Simpson Stuart Road.
"It was an old building that we completed gutted. It had asbestos and contamination," said Save-A-Lot franchise owner Joe Kemp. "When people come to the door, they say, 'Man I really need this. We welcome it and we'll be back.' It's a big, big deal."
For the first time in nearly eight years, people in Highland Hills can buy fresh food, including fruits and vegetables.
"I just wonder why it took so long," said Highland Hills resident Melvin Garrett.
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For years, Garrett has driven 20 minutes to Lancaster to buy groceries.
"We have to drive way down there and stand in line for an hour," said Garrett. "That's the only place we have and it's always crowded."
City leaders said the Save-A-Lot will serve more than 30,000 people within a two-mile radius.
"We went all over the country. The only one who would look at this food desert was Save-A-Lot," said former Dallas Councilman Tennell Atkins. "People are walking to the dollar store to buy milk, eggs and bacon. There is no nutrition. We're in a food desert."
Atkins played an instrumental role in convincing the city to invest $2.8 million into the grocery store.
"We had a great task force that said, 'Hey, what do we need in this area?' The task force said the number one thing we need in this area are grocery stores," said Atkins. "I think we could put more money into the southern sector. I think this is one of the first stores we ever put that kind of money into south of the Trinity River."
