Rouses Markets is planning to build a new, full-service grocery store in north Baton Rouge on the northwest corner of Florida Boulevard and North Ardenwood Drive.
Much of north Baton Rouge is considered part of a food desert, meaning there is limited access to fresh food. City-parish officials hope Rouses will anchor and contribute to the redevelopment and revitalization of Ardenwood Shopping Center and the surrounding area.
“It was clear the community was in need of a fresh food retailer closer to home,” says Rouses CEO Donny Rouse.
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The company plans to break ground on the project in July with the goal of opening the 44,000-square-foot store by next summer.
Identifying a viable location for a new grocery store was a big part of ongoing efforts to bring more options to food deserts in Baton Rouge, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome says. Rouses has been in conversation with Broome’s office since 2017, according to the mayor’s office, adding that Metro Council member Cleve Dunn, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Build Baton Rouge and the North Baton Rouge Economic Development District also were part of that effort.
This story originally appeared in a May 23 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.