Mayport residents who have gone more than 14 years without a neighborhood grocery store could finally get one.

The Atlantic Beach City Commission voted unanimously Monday, Aug. 10, to authorize negotiations to sell a 1.25-acre city-owned parcel at 2880 Mayport Road to Teramore Development for $875,000, according to the Beach Gazette. The developer plans to build a DG Market, a smaller-format Dollar General grocery concept offering fresh produce, meat, dairy and frozen foods.

The USDA classifies Mayport's census tract as a low-access food desert. The area's last full-service grocery, Food Lion, closed in January 2012. Terry's Country Store also closed its Mayport Road location in early 2023. The closest grocery options are an Aldi in Neptune Beach, about 3.4 miles from the proposed site, and a Publix across Wonderwood Bridge at Monument and McCormick roads, nearly 6 miles from Mayport Village. A military commissary exists in the area but is restricted to service members and their families.

"After so many years of literally having a food desert on Mayport Road, we actually have a solution," Mayor Curtis Ford told News4JAX on Aug. 11.

Ford proposed the sale at the Aug. 10 meeting, saying he has spent at least three years working with developers to find a grocery solution for the corridor. He engaged Ryan Nix, an Atlantic Beach resident and real estate broker who handles site selection for Teramore Development, to pursue the project. Nix presented a written purchase offer to the commission.

The parcel, at the intersection of Mayport and Wonderwood roads, was acquired by Atlantic Beach in 1991 for a possible utility expansion. At 1.25 acres, it is too small for a traditional grocery store, which requires 3 to 5 acres. DG Market stores range from 8,000 to 10,000 square feet and carry many of the same departments as a full-size supermarket with smaller selections.

Mayport Road already has two Dollar General stores. Neither offers fresh produce or meat.

City Manager Kevin Hogencamp and City Attorney Jason Gabriel will negotiate a purchase and sale contract with Teramore, and the property will be appraised to validate the $875,000 price. Ford said he would impose conditions on the sale to ensure the site is developed as a DG Market.

The property is currently zoned for mobile homes and will require a zoning amendment from the city of Jacksonville, not Atlantic Beach. Nix told commissioners he expects no opposition to the rezoning.

Commissioner Jessica Ring, who has served since 2022, said the food desert was one of the top concerns she heard from residents when she took office. She noted the parcel's limited size makes a DG Market the realistic option.

Not all residents are enthusiastic. Some raised concerns at the meeting about the proposed site's proximity to an elementary school and potential parking conflicts during pickup, according to News4JAX.

If the contract is approved, Nix estimated it would take about three months to close on the property, with construction beginning within 30 days. He projected roughly 10 months of construction. Dollar General representatives gave the commission a broader estimate of 12 to 14 months total.

The $875,000 in sale proceeds would also benefit Atlantic Beach's budget amid uncertainties surrounding a property tax initiative on the November 2026 ballot. The Mayport Waterfront Partnership hosted a presentation by Nix on the proposal Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the Gulliford Community Center in Mayport Village.

Hogencamp will present a status report at the commission's next meeting.