Bradenton 'food desert' remains with grocery developer's utter failure

One of Manatee County's many "food deserts" will remain without easy access to fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthy fare with this week's demise of the Save-A-Lot project near downtown Bradenton. Shame on the Milwaukee-based developer, Endeavor Corp., for wasting years and years on this plan, misleading neighborhood residents and city officials time and time again with demand after demand for more money.

This project by the Central Community Redevelopment Agency intended to place a grocery store and other retail outlets at the corner of 13th Avenue West and First Street. First hatched in 2006, a now laughable ground-breaking ceremony occurred later that year for the well-named Minnie L. Rogers Plaza, with her descendants in attendance.

Endeavor missed a Dec. 31 deadline to close on $6 million in federal tax credits vital to the project, but kept making demands to the city for more money over the past two years -- winning some concessions. Finally, the city had enough and wisely rejected the developer's latest bid for a higher city investment.

Good riddance to Endeavor. Bradenton needs a honorable developer fully committed to completing this highly desirable project.

This story was originally published January 23, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Bradenton 'food desert' remains with grocery developer's utter failure ."