Tackling Food Deserts Through Adaptive Reuse
By: Katrina N. Pacheco, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, MCPPO | Assistant Vice President & Studio Director — H2M architects + engineers
In 2022, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) published a study identifying over 1.3 million New Jerseyans as residents of food deserts: geographic areas in which people must travel over one mile in an urban environment or 20 miles in a rural environment to access fresh, healthy, and affordable food.
For people living in food deserts, it is common to subsist on prepackaged, ultra-processed foods from convenience stores and fast-food establishments. However, these types of foods have been linked to a higher risk of a wide range of health conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In fact, a 2023 study by the American Cancer Society found that people with little or no access to healthy foods have a shorter lifespan on average than those with greater levels of access.
In order to address these disparities, which disproportionately affect low-income Americans, developers must be incentivized to build and operate new supermarkets within food deserts. The NJEDA administers a Food Desert Relief Program, which offers up to $40 million per year in tax credits, loans, grants, and technical assistance for the development of new grocery stores in any of the 50 communities designated as food deserts. In economically-depressed areas with blighted or abandoned properties, these incentives can be paired with adaptive reuse techniques to help revitalize entire communities while keeping their historic character intact.
Earlier this year, Bargain Grocery, an affordable grocery store operated by the not-for-profit Compassion Coalition, opened its second-ever location in Troy, NY. Compassion Coalition uses the proceeds from both the new Bargain Grocery and the original location in Utica, NY, to fund its mission of providing food, clothing, transportation, and shelter to the underprivileged—raising approximately $20 million dollars in support so far.
Rather than identify a site for a brand-new building, the developer and H2M architects + engineers opted to reuse a 15,000-square-foot cardboard manufacturing facility built in the mid-1800s. Our adaptive reuse work involved the preparation of historic surveys and architectural designs that respect the character of the edifice, including a new refrigeration area, dual-level loading docks, and an accessible path into the grocery store. The building also received electrical system upgrades, structural fortification, and a brand-new heating, ventilation, and cooling system.
By utilizing the principles of adaptive reuse and paying close attention to historic preservation guidelines, we transformed an older but structurally feasible building into a valuable community resource with a completely new purpose. The load-bearing brick-and-timber-frame building features all-new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and technology, but retains its 19th-century aesthetic to help preserve Troy’s history as a center for manufacturing. Adaptive reuse also allowed us to complete the work with less construction waste and for less money than traditional design and construction methods.
These types of projects, as well as the myriad of economic and public health benefits they bring, are as feasible in New Jersey as they are in New York. Old factories, banks, schoolhouses, churches, storefronts, and municipal buildings—whether historic or not—still have plenty to offer for those willing to think outside the box and redefine what a grocery store can look like. By collaborating with architecture and engineering consultants well-versed in adaptive reuse, developers and municipalities can make the most of their unused space to transform food deserts into flourishing oases.
