Common Council legislation authored by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs would direct the Department of City Development and the Milwaukee Health Department to work directly to attract and retain grocery stores and pharmacies in the City of Milwaukee.
The legislation – Council file #251707 (assigned to the Community and Economic Development Committee) – would direct city resources in an impactful way to help develop strategies to bring and retain grocery stores and pharmacies to the city as soon as possible, Alderwoman Coggs said.
“Recent grocery store closings have put tens of thousands of city residents in a tough spot when it comes to being able to access nutritious foods, and especially fresh fruits and vegetables,” the Alderwoman said. “Those residents who do not have access to transportation will not be able to easily get to the store to regularly get the groceries and items they depend on to stay healthy and well, and that is why we need to have city staff who are specifically dedicated to retaining existing and finding new grocery store operators and options.”
The same can also be said for pharmacies, Alderwoman Coggs said. “We have seen pharmacies shutter after decades in certain neighborhoods, leaving droves of customers – many of them seniors who have multiple prescriptions – faced with finding a new pharmacy that is not familiar and several miles further away,” she said.
Alderwoman Andrea M. Pratt, Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, Alderwoman Larresa Taylor, Alderman Mark Chambers, Jr., Alderman DiAndre Jackson, and Alderman José G. Pérez are cosponsors of the legislation.
