New York City officials are looking at ways to ease costs for independent grocers as taxpayers foot the bill for Mayor Zohran Mamdani's city-owned grocery store plan.
The administration is eyeing tax breaks, incentives and zoning benefits to help private grocers manage costs as the city moves ahead with taxpayer-subsidized stores that will receive low- or no-cost real estate, city-funded buildouts and other subsidies.
That could put taxpayers in a position of paying twice, once for the city-run stores and again for incentives that could be used to ease costs for private grocers operating alongside them.
Those city-run stores, meanwhile, are expected to sell groceries at prices 30% below comparable retailers, according to Mamdani’s administration.