$50M Project Brings Grocery Store to Louisiana Food Desert

A North Baton Rouge community that's waited decades for a grocery store is finally getting one, and residents are calling it "a blessing long overdue."

Harvest Fresh will open in fall 2027 as part of the BLVD project at Harding, a $50 million development bringing new life to Scotlandville. The grocery store will anchor a larger complex including retail shops, medical offices, and small businesses along Harding Boulevard.

For families without reliable transportation, the news means dignity and relief. "North Baton Rouge has been a food desert, and it has been difficult for families without transportation to get what they need," one resident told WBRZ.

District 2 Councilman Anthony Kenny sees the project as proof that investment in his community works. "The grocery store is the anchor that's going to attract and show people that development can happen in North Baton Rouge and Scotlandville," he said.

Southern University students will benefit too, cutting down long trips just to buy groceries. The store will sit within the same development as their campus, making weekly shopping actually manageable.

The Ripple Effect

Developer Richard Preis has spent 27 years transforming Howell Place from empty land into thriving community infrastructure. Since 1997, he's developed 170 of 200 acres, bringing services directly to residents instead of forcing them to travel.

"We've got a charter school. We've got 600 apartments now, the YMCA medical building," Preis said. His vision was simple: bring the services to the people, not the other way around.

The grocery store represents more than just convenience. It's 250 new jobs in a community that's been overlooked by major retailers for generations. It's families saving money on gas and time. It's students eating better because healthy food is finally accessible.

Groundbreaking happens within the next two years, marking the completion of a vision nearly three decades in the making and proving that persistent community investment pays lasting dividends.