Food Giant returning to Birmingham, thanks to grocery store recruitment efforts

Food Giant is returning to Birmingham’s West side. 

Thanks to an incentive agreement approved by Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin and the Birmingham City Council, a new 25,000 square foot Food Giant store will move into the old Winn Dixie store location at 2220 Bessemer Road near the CrossPlex.

Birmingham Food Deserts

“This is exciting news,” said Mayor Woodfin. “One of the No. 1 issues I have wanted to address across the entire municipality is solving for food deserts; and the West side has been a priority.” 

The incentive package includes $640,000 strictly for tenant improvements and modernization, which includes cutting the location from 50,000 to 25,000 square feet. The agreement also includes a 10-year revenue share that will be capped at $1 million. 

“We are excited about having Mitchell Retail properties in the state of Alabama,” Cornell Wesley, director of the Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity.said of the Food Giant parent company. “They are a very experienced provider with an excellent reputation for operating amazing, clean stores. We are excited about welcoming them back into our city.”

Grocery Store Recruitment $2 Million Plan

The incentive agreement is financed from a $2 million spending plan that was established by Mayor Woodfin and the Council for grocery store recruitment in December 2021.

In a study released by the city in 2019, nearly 70% of Birmingham residents live in places without easy access to healthy food.

The project, which includes modifications to the current building, is expected to be complete by early 2023.