A vice to something positive: Vacant south Phoenix liquor store will become space to benefit community

A shuttered liquor store on the corner of Southern Avenue and 10th Street looks as if it never closed, with beer ads still plastered to its façade and metal bars protecting its windows.

The property that has sat vacant for nearly a year is a wonderland of different aesthetics.

Its main room is almost as preserved as the building itself. Its old shelving is still in place only now covered by dust, and old family photos from the store’s owners are pinned behind the counter. The back gives way to a small kitchen, a pink-carpeted living space and a maze of doors leading to the outside: a plot of baked earth cracking under the sun, a collapsing wooden canopy, wispy plants and a surviving tangerine tree.

The empty space in south Phoenix will soon become a community café, a commissary kitchen local food vendors can use and a place for local farmers to sell fresh produce.

“We’re turning a vice that’s of no value to the community and we’re turning it into something positive,” said Sam Gomez, founder of nonprofit art gallery The Sagrado, which will run the new development. “It’s a space that centers local entrepreneurs and brings something healthy and happy to the community.”

Connecting the community to food

Gomez also is a founder of the South Central Mercado along with Cecilia Rivera. The open-air market takes place every other Saturday in the parking lot next to the The Sagrado, off Central and Southern avenues. The mercado helps increase visibility of small businesses and serves as a launching pad for many. Rivera also is a business coach for vendors, helping them navigate the complicated language of city documents, create business plans and apply for licenses. 

One of the reasons behind the creation of the new café and kitchen is that Gomez and Rivera found that they had to turn away many local food vendors because they were operating out of home kitchens, which goes against Maricopa County health standards.

Commissary kitchens or renting space from restaurants are the most common ways for food vendors without brick-and-mortar restaurants or food trucks to make their products in compliance with regulations. But space is limited, and the nearest commissary kitchen to south Phoenix with available space is 30 minutes away, according to Rivera.

“I know so many older ladies who want a business,” Rivera said. “Men and women entrepreneurs want to sell their food that right now they're selling to friends and neighbors because they don't have a license. This will help them get legitimate.”

Rivera said feedback from vendors at the mercado fueled the decision to create the kitchen and café not only because vendors thought these amenities were lacking in south Phoenix, but because it sparked a sense of pride.

“There are people who grew up here who come back, sometimes from far away, because they like to see that where they grew up, something is happening that wasn't here before,” Rivera said.

The team from the mercado wanted to include a fresh food component at the former liquor store to bring fresh food to the community. They hope to partner with local farms to sell produce and become a hub for hot meals, ingredients and a community gathering space.

Setting the tone for future developments

Gomez partnered with the project’s main investor Alex Gamboa, president of Phoenix-based AG 20 Investment, who was looking for a way to merge private investment with community building and nonprofit support. Development is usually about making profit and while philanthropic developments are happening, the concept is relatively new, Gamboa said.  

“I want to put in money where it’s doing good,” Gamboa said. “Yes we need to get a good return, but we don’t need to hit a grand slam.”

The café and kitchen is rooted in community vision, Gomez said.

The new development will provide a place to gather, give local businesses owners opportunities and bring high-quality food to the neighborhood, which are things that haven’t seen a lot of investment from developers, he said.

Developers aim to keep the money within the community, including:

• Working with a south Phoenix construction company.
• Providing Wi-Fi through an independent company providing internet infrastructure in south Phoenix.
• Working with Selina Martinez, the lead instructor at Design Empowerment PHX — a program of The Sagrado that teaches the community about equitable design — to provide renderings. 

Gomez hopes to show that it is possible to develop in a way that helps the community and is economically viable.

“This could be a catapult to get people thinking about conscious development,” Gomez said. “We can set the tone for other projects to be inspired by this.”

The mercado team is seeking community support to redevelop the liquor store. Those who wish to support the project may contact The Sagrado at 602-413-3357.

Megan Taros covers south Phoenix for The Arizona Republic. Have a tip? Reach her at mtaros@gannett.com or on Twitter @megataros. Her coverage is supported by Report for America and a grant from the Vitalyst Health Foundation.

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