February 6, 2024

Suleiman: Atlantic City's food insecurity issues require more than just one solution

The groundbreaking ceremony in November 2021 for a new ShopRite in Atlantic City was one of the biggest public relations blunders in the city’s history. Over two years later, there is nothing left but an empty lot and the mound of dirt used in their ceremony.

Last year, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a CRDA-subsidized supermarket. It received four proposals, only two of which were realistic. A detailed analysis of the available documents show the ShopRite proposal would have seen the CRDA construct an $18.7 million supermarket, lease the property to ShopRite for $1 a year, and reimburse any other monies that ShopRite would have spent over a 10-year period.

If such a project requires this much government subsidy for just a chance of success (in an industry with already tight profit margins), it’s not viable. What happens if a supermarket is constructed and then an operator like ShopRite pulls out of the deal? What is CRDA supposed to do with an empty supermarket? Add it to the collection of urban blight in a city that has been let down by false hope again and again.

To be blunt, the supermarket idea is dead and buried. It’s not going to happen, and any further efforts by CRDA or the state to revive are a waste of both time and millions in resources when that can be redirected toward proposals or ideas that can actually benefit residents. The residents of Atlantic City deserve real, practical solutions to food insecurity. Rather than pinning our hopes on one omnibus project, addressing food insecurity in Atlantic City will need to be a piecemeal yet coordinated approach to tackling this problem neighborhood by neighborhood.

First, the state and the city need to collaborate to appoint a food insecurity “czar” to coordinate all of the efforts to address food insecurity in Atlantic City, something that is sorely needed. For example, both Virtua and AtlantiCare have announced mobile food pantry markets for residents. This is in addition to the efforts by C.R.O.P.S., a regional food insecurity nonprofit, with its mobile farmers markets and storefront at The Walk. However, these three agencies do not work together to coordinate food routes, supply, and availability. While their individual efforts are well-intentioned, this fragmented approach is inefficient and unsustainable. There needs to be one person who will get all of the nonprofit, private, and public sector partners together so that everyone’s time, money, and efforts are maximized to benefit residents.

Next, a community needs assessment is desperately needed to identify residents’ food insecurities. With text polling, social media surveys, and community meetings, a “down and dirty” needs assessment could be achieved rather quickly. This way, efforts like the mobile food trucks will be more than “feel good” gestures; they’ll be innovative solutions to help those in need.

Finally, instead of pouring $18.7 million into a supermarket that is unlikely to succeed, the state and CRDA should instead spend that money to support several smaller, nonprofit-owned markets and co-ops throughout Atlantic City like the C.R.O.P.S. storefront. Policymakers must tackle food insecurity on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis. For example, a community co-op could alleviate food insecurity in Uptown, while a regular farmers market in Venice Park would work best for that area. Smaller, neighborhood-specific solutions won’t have groundbreakings or ribbon cuttings, nor will they attract much media attention, but they will be effective in helping residents.

As these initiatives come to fruition, one of the ancillary problems that we need to tackle is eradicating the stigma around supermarket alternatives. Oftentimes, residents in need feel embarrassed to purchase from a publicly subsidized co-op or farmers market that they view as “welfare,” as if their money is somehow less “green” than those on the mainland. It may require those of means to frequent these shops or mobile markets to show that there’s no stigma in obtaining quality food for your family, whether it’s at a mobile farmers market, a food distribution center, or a publicly-owned co-op. A robust marketing campaign is also needed to make sure people know the resources available to them. Making sure residents don’t feel “less than” when using these viable alternatives is of paramount importance.

We need to cut bait on the supermarket proposal. It’s not happening. Not now, not anytime soon. Instead of wasting another two years chasing a pipedream, we need tangible solutions now to tackle food security in Atlantic City this year.