Construction is now underway on Nostrand Avenue for a 328-unit apartment building, but it’s replacing a main grocery store for many Crown Heights residents.

The Associated Supermarket grocery store closed back in 2021 and many say they feared that the closing would leave them in a food desert.

Elderly and disabled residents were also concerned about getting access to what they need without their local supermarket, and say that they are now forced to take a long commute to get to their nearest grocery store.

The Hudson Companies says that the construction site will be part of a larger supermarket site that includes apartments, a community facility, and other retail space. They say the grocery store will return in the fall of 2025.