TOLEDO, Ohio — You've likely seen the changes.
Toledo has spent some time working on its downtown. The push to revitalize continues. It's spread to the historic Vistula neighborhood and now, it could move toward another spot bordering downtown.
Handfuls of people who live near Collingwood Green say their neighborhood is in desperate need of a grocery store.
"As far as us getting a grocery store, I think that would be a welcome change," Collingwood area resident Devon Hall said.
Toledo City Council is in the preliminary stages of that idea, but it has neighbors excited about the possibility.
"I think that would be a wonderful idea, simply because a lot of individuals in this neighborhood don't have transportation," said Vivian Crawford, who grew up in the area.
Nestled off I-75, it's clear.
The Collingwood Green area doesn't have many places nearby to get groceries. The closest Kroger is about five miles away in Oregon. It's the same with the closest Meijer.
But that hasn't always been the case.
"As children, we had a grocery store in our neighborhood. We had a bakery and food market, the neighborhood was very vibrant," Crawford said. "There were lots of people."
Changes could be on the horizon.
The city is looking at adding a grocery store to the area. The money would be used from the local fiscal recovery fund and go to Lucas Metropolitan Housing for the initiative.
"All we have over here is convenience stores. There's nothing nutritious, as far as when it used to be," Hall said.
Neighbors say things cost more at those convenience stores and markets and they can't always get everything they need.
"We got one. We just need it to be more accessible to the people. We have no way to get there. We only got one store," resident Phillip Gilbert said.
Some neighbors make the drive. For others, family members or delivery services bring groceries.
While the city hasn't finalized a location, people living in the neighborhood have some ideas.
"I would say Detroit and Nebraska. There's a really big field over there and it used to be a place of business," Hall said.
"They're going to have to put it on Junction. That's the only place that has space. That's what I think," Gilbert said.
Neighbors also believe a grocery store would attract more people and help with the blight in the area.
Toledo City Council introduced the idea for the first time today and it'll take time before any final decision.
WTOL 11 will continue to track the initiative over the next couple of weeks and bring you the latest developments.
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