KC hospital plans for grocery move ahead

Kansas City hospital moves step closer to opening full-service grocery store in 'food desert'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Truman Medical Center is a step closer to opening a full-service grocery store that will give its neighbors healthier food choices.

The hospital said in a release Thursday that it had completed a transfer of land with the Hospital Hill Economic Development Corporation for the $11.5 million project.

The hospital is located in one of Kansas City's so-called "food deserts," which are low-income areas where residents don't have easy access to more nutritious food options.

Hospital officials last year announced plans for the store in a bid to bring healthy food options to the urban core. The hospital says the store is expected to include extensive produce, meats and dairy items as well as locally grown options and a farmers' market.