Fix for food desert on the east side of Pueblo could be coming

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO)-- It's been about four years since people on the east side of Pueblo have had easy access to a grocery store. Since then, it's been commonly referred to as a food desert. But with new American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding coming in, it's possible that could be changing.

There used to be a Safeway store on East 8th Street but it has sat vacant for years, now it's a construction site for a new health clinic.

"There was no way we were going to get a national grocer to come into that location," Pueblo City Council President Larry Atencio said. He points out the city has had problems getting any national chains to come in and redevelop the site.

But now new ARPA funding and a willing local man could change that. 

Mike Hartkop, the entrepreneur behind the Solar Roast coffee chain is leading the charge. He doesn't live on the east side, but if the city council devotes ARPA funding, he's willing to take out a loan to build and run his own grocery store at the site of an old pawn shop on 8th Street and Monument Street.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find a neighborhood or community which has been more affected from covid than the east side of Pueblo," Hartkop told KRDO. "This grocery store was just simply a way to offer assistance."

All that said, it's not clear just yet if the city can use ARPA funds for such a project. But Atencio is hopeful.

"The keyword is American Rescue Plan," Atencio continues. "And I'm thinking that the food desert on that side of town has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and people are hurting a lot more than they were prior to the pandemic in terms of trying to get food on the table."

"Covid has created an interesting series of events, and it shined a light on the things we really need and that we're really lacking in pueblo and across the country," Hartkop said.

Now, Hartkop will wait to find out if the city council will take him up on his offer.

"If they say yes, that's wonderful and they're doing the right thing. If they say no, then I really don't understand their reasoning."

The Pueblo City Council will meet Tuesday night where it's expected that the city attorney will share if the store would meet the funding requirements.