Later this fall the residents of Zuni Pueblo will have access to a new modern supermarket and retail shops in their own community.
On Monday, ground was broken to begin construction of the Halona Marketplace, a 20,400 square foot facility that will house the new supermarket and three retail shops. The shopping center will replace the 112 year old store which is currently providing groceries to the community of 11,000 residents.
The owners of the current grocery store and the administrators of Zuni Pueblo worked with Pinnacle bank located in Gallup, New Mexico to provide the $2,750,000 loan to the Halona Marketplace backed by a guarantee from USDA Rural Development’s Business and Industry (B&I) guaranteed loan program. The guaranteed loan program helps commercial lending institutions by providing a guarantee that allows for more affordable financing for businesses in eligible rural areas.
Just before the groundbreaking ceremony, USDA Rural Development Acting State Director Eric Vigil was invited to speak to the crowd of about a hundred people attending the event. He said, “The construction of this facility shows Rural Development’s commitment to continue our partnership with the residents of Zuni to provide you with a better lifestyle.” Vigil added, “USDA Rural Development is available to finance your housing, business, and infrastructure needs.”
The Pueblo of Zuni is currently considered to be in a food desert. Food deserts are defined by USDA as communities without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. The new store will carry a wider variety of grocery products including fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as meat and fish.
The owners of the new supermarket also qualified for funding through Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) which will make the new facility more energy efficient. USDA Rural Development is providing a $49,211 grant to offset the cost of the $197,000 needed to purchase the energy efficient refrigeration equipment, display cases and walk-in coolers for the supermarket. The purchase of this equipment will save 69,028 kWh of electricity which is enough to power six average homes for an entire year.
For more information on the business programs go to the USDA Rural Development website at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/nm or call the state office in Albuquerque at 505-761-4950.