PEORIA, Ill. – New signs on a long-awaited grocery store on Peoria’s south side have sparked excitement in the community.
Chuck Brown purchased the old Save-A-Lot building on Western Avenue in 2021. He’s invested his own money, and received over $2 million from the state and the city of Peoria.
Brown says supply chain issues significantly delayed the project in 2022, but he and his team are making progress on renovating the store, now named CJ Harvest.
The team is preparing permit papers for the city and continuing to remodel the space inside the store.
Brown tells 25 News, CJ Harvest will be a full-service grocery store with fresh produce, a meat department, a bakery, delivery, a BBQ restaurant, and more. Peoria’s south side has been without a grocery store since 2018.
“We are going to offer delivery services for groceries, of course, as well as catering, but we’re also going to offer rides for senior citizens who want to come,” he says.
Brown says he wants to carry local produce and goods, and sell about 1,400 items…similar to an Aldi’s store. He also plans to hold farmers’ markets on store property, calling it a point of connection for the community.
“It gives us a place where people can come, be seen, be heard, and feel safe in an environment where they can connect with their neighbors,” Brown says.
Brown says it’s important to him to give back to the community where he grew up.
“This is not just for us, it’s not about us. It’s really for the community,“ Brown says. ”It’s their store. I think people feel a sense of ownership, and they’re ready for this to happen.”
Brown expects that CJ Harvest will open this summer.
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