(The Center Square) – A proposed bill to the Washington State Legislature would allow cities to establish and operate grocery stores to address food deserts, a move that could help new Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson follow through on her campaign platform regarding food insecurity.
House Bill 2313 was prefiled on Wednesday. It’s prime sponsor is Rep. Darya Farivar, D-Seattle. The bill would authorize cities to establish publicly owned grocery stores in areas with limited food access, commonly referred to as food deserts. Under the bill, cities could acquire land and private property through eminent domain, lease grocery sites to private or nonprofit operators, or directly operate the stores using city employees.
Under the bill, cities establishing publicly owned grocery stores could apply for capital grants from the Washington State Department of Commerce or designate a tax increment financing area. Revenues from those sources could be used for property acquisition, redevelopment of grocery sites, infrastructure, and operations of the store.
Farivar did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment. However, Farivar has previously pointed to the recent closure of a Fred Meyer grocery store in Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood, saying the closure makes it harder for residents to access fresh, affordable groceries close to home.
In her statement dated Oct. 17, 2025, Farivar said she was preparing a package of legislation to incentivize and remove barriers to grocery stores operating in food deserts.
“My hope is that this helps quickly attract another grocery store to fill Fred Meyer’s place,” she said.
Following the announced Lake City Fred Meyer closure, former Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and former City Council President Sara Nelson sponsored an emergency ordinance prohibiting anti-competitive covenants that prevent new grocery stores and pharmacies from opening in former locations. Such covenants are often used to block competitors from opening in their old locations.
Wilson also voiced support for publicly backed grocery stores in the city during her 2025 campaign.
Some experts are not convinced city-run grocery stores are a good idea.
“Cities shouldn’t be in the grocery business. If a grocery store can’t make a profit in an area, a government-run store won’t either. It’ll just burn through taxpayer money and divert tax revenue to cover losses,” Washington Policy Center Budget and Tax Policy Director Ryan Frost emailed The Center Square. “Instead, cities should fix whatever market problems drove their grocery stores away in the first place.”
Seattle would not be the first city to own and operate a grocery store. There have been several examples, including small cities in red states. For instance, the Town of Baldwin, Fla., opened its own grocery store in 2019 to address a lack of food access after its only for-profit grocer closed. However, it closed in March 2024.
Talks of the store reopening with private-interest were mentioned in the town’s Feb. 18, 2025 meeting notes, with Baldwin Mayor Sean Lynch saying one individual was interested, but that nothing would be certain until April “when interest rates and things start to go lower.”
However, in the following March meeting, Lynch said he “doesn’t feel they could get the right people” and the store remains closed.
One city-operated grocery store still standing is in the small City of St. Paul, Kan. According to former St. Paul Mayor Rick Giefer, the city with a population of roughly 600 had been without a grocery store for 20 years up until 2005, when the city pursued the purchase of the store to provide a food source to its residents. The effort resulted in the St. Paul Market, which continues to operate today.
Wilson’s office did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.
