The Allied Drive area in west Madison may soon get a grocery store after the city’s Board of Estimates agreed to forward a $300,000 incentive package to the City Council for consideration. The area, which includes about 5,000 residents, lost a nearby Cub Foods store years ago, and a neighborhood Walgreens, which many residents used for grocery purchases, closed at the end of last year.
A city staff report in December suggested allocating no more than $300,000 in financial assistance to the area in the form of a low-interest or forgivable loan that would be used either for the acquisition of property or for working capital.
It also recommended up to $15,000 in assistance to help vulnerable residents who were affected by the Walgreens closing. Ideas being floated include bus or cab vouchers that would allow people to travel to grocery stores in other areas.
