BATON ROUGE - Groundbreaking for a new grocery store and site right off of Harding Boulevard is coming to the Scotlandville community within the next two years.

Harvest Fresh plans to open in fall 2027 as part of the BLVD project at Harding, a larger development expected to include retail shops, medical offices, and other small businesses.

District 2 councilman Anthony Kenny says the project is a full-circle moment.

"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.

For Residents and Southern University students, the store means shorter trips for groceries.

“It’s been a blessing long overdue. North Baton Rouge has been a food desert, and it has been difficult for families without transportation to get what they need," one resident said.

Developer Richard Preis, who founded Howell Place, the location where the development will be built, said that since 1997, out of 200 acres, 170 of them have gone to developments in the area. Monday, he said he is glad to see the project continue, contributing to nearly three decades of work bringing services directly into the community.

"Howell Place was all about bringing the services to the people, rather than having people go to the services. We've got a charter school. We've got 600 apartments now, the YMCA medical building. And it's been, it's been a long haul," he said.

The project comes with a 50-million-dollar total investment, creating more than 250 jobs for the area.