ROANOKE, Va. – Napoleon Bailey remembers Northwest Roanoke in what he says was its prime.
“We need to get back to supporting each other, loving each other, stop the gun violence,” Bailey said.
Early last year, Bailey and his wife lost their son to gun violence in Northwest.
“Instead of being bitter, we use it to motivate us,” Bailey said.
Bailey now works for Goodwill Industries, which is working to turn Northwest Roanoke around for the people who live there.
Tuesday, they broke ground on Melrose Plaza - something President and CEO Richmond Vincent says is a step in the right direction.
“This project provides the opportunity to restore back to those times when this was a very dynamic and vibrant community,” Vincent said.
The plaza will host a grocery store, aimed at combating the food desert in Northwest.
“We realized that someone who lives in a 24017 zip code lives six years less than someone who lives in a neighboring zip code in 24018. So our goal and the reason that eliminating a food desert is so important is that we’ve got to get folks the opportunity and access to nutritious food,” Vincent said.
The plaza will house the market along with three other focus areas. Including an education center they hope will help the nearly 14,000 adults in Roanoke without a high school diploma.
“Very few jobs hire without a high school diploma or a GED, so maybe the jobs they’re in now are not at a family-sustaining wage,” Vincent said.
For Bailey, he hopes to set an example for his neighbors.
“When they see me, they see themselves. I just think this right here is going to be good for the community,” Bailey said.
The market is set to open by December 2024, with the rest of the plaza slated for early 2025.