Here’s the revised post with Wonza’s confirmation that the $3 million target remains the same without Durham Choice funding, and the remaining questions updated accordingly.
We want to share an important update on our efforts to bring a grocery store to the Villages of Hayti. After recent conversations with James and Wonza Montague of F7 and Karen Lado of Durham Choice, we have a clearer understanding of the challenges—and new confirmation from F7 about the funding needed to move forward.
Durham Choice is pulling back from funding the grocery store.
Residents have organized around a grocery store as part of the development and understood it to be a commitment to our neighborhood. Durham Choice is now moving away from using its Choice Neighborhoods grant funds to help make that store possible.
Karen explained that this decision reflects concerns about construction and operating costs, the financial risk to Durham Housing Authority if a grocery operator cannot sustain the business, and whether the project could meet the grant’s September 2029 spending deadline. She also identified rezoning and financing timelines as obstacles.
Those constraints deserve to be understood, but they do not erase the commitment residents understood was being made. Pulling back because the project is now considered too risky leaves the neighborhood carrying the consequences of an unmet promise. Our elders and neighbors have invested years in shaping this development. We deserve a clear explanation of what changed, what support remains available, and how Durham Choice and DHA will help deliver the food access our community has advocated for.
Karen said they have not abandoned the goal of a grocery store, but they no longer see a workable path using these grant funds under the current circumstances. We need to understand what that means in practice.
F7 has confirmed that the grocery store still needs $3 million, even without Durham Choice funding.
Following our conversation with Karen, we spoke again with Wonza to ask directly: if no Durham Choice funds are available, does the grocery store still need $3 million, or would the funding gap increase? Wonza confirmed that $3 million remains the amount needed, regardless of where that funding comes from.
F7 previously explained that its development approach would provide the grocery store’s exterior shell, with approximately $3 million needed to outfit the interior for Oasis Fresh Market, the proposed Black-owned grocery operator from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Wonza described a concept with student housing above the store, which differs from the standalone grocery model Karen discussed.
Karen described a substantially larger financing need—approximately $8–10 million when accounting for construction, outfitting, and support during the store’s early operating years. These figures reflect different descriptions of the project’s costs and financing. Wonza’s follow-up confirmation gives us a clearer fundraising target from F7, while we continue seeking a shared understanding of the full development plan.
We still need to clarify the approvals, financing, timeline, and commitments from DHA and Oasis required to turn that funding into an open, operating grocery store.
Wonza also emphasized that DHA should still be held accountable for the grocery store promised to the community. We agree. Our efforts to find other funding sources do not release DHA from its responsibility to help fulfill that commitment.
We are continuing to build a coalition to move this forward.
On November 19, neighbors have organized a meeting bringing together Durham CAN, F7, Monument of Faith Church, Grant Street Community, Black Farmers Market, Edible Atlas, and Hayti Promise. This follows a meaningful conversation with Hayti Promise board chair Cheryl Brown and interim director Lisa Jackson about the project and potential ways to help close the funding gap.
Our goal is to establish a shared understanding of where the project stands, confirm the steps needed to move forward, and identify what each partner may be able to contribute toward the $3 million gap.
We have also had encouraging conversations with United Way, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Duke partners. These conversations are not confirmed funding commitments, but they give us reason to keep working toward a coalition of supporters.
Our vision continues to include both the grocery store and an ecosystem around it: opportunities for Black farmers to supply food, stronger connections with existing food access efforts, and neighborhood partnerships that help residents benefit from the store over time. Duke and Edible Atlas partners encouraged us to define clear milestones, connect each funding request to tangible community benefits, and build on the work already happening locally. Funding for this broader ecosystem would be in addition to the $3 million F7 has identified for the grocery store.
We remain hopeful that an initial investment could help bring other funders to the table. With F7’s confirmation of the fundraising target, our next task is to align potential support with a clear plan for delivering the store.
Our neighborhood’s need for a grocery store has not changed. We will continue pressing for answers, holding institutions accountable for their commitments, and working with partners to find a path forward. We will share what we learn from the November 19 meeting and what it means for our next steps.
— The Grant Street Community
