Milwaukee Common Council proposal would direct city agencies to recruit and keep grocery stores and pharmacies

City proposal targets access to groceries and prescriptions after a wave of store closures

Milwaukee aldermen have introduced a proposal that would direct city departments to take a more active role in attracting and retaining grocery stores and pharmacies, as neighborhoods on the city’s north side and northwest side contend with recent retail closures and longer trips for everyday necessities.

The measure, Common Council file #251707, would instruct the Department of City Development and the Milwaukee Health Department to work directly on strategies aimed at bringing new operators to Milwaukee and keeping existing stores in place. The legislation has been referred to the Common Council’s Community and Economic Development Committee.

Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs is the author of the file. Co-sponsors include Alderwoman Andrea M. Pratt, Alderman Russell W. Stamper II, Alderwoman Larresa Taylor, Alderman Mark Chambers Jr., Alderman DiAndre Jackson and Alderman José G. Pérez.

Closures have widened gaps in service

The proposal comes as residents and city officials cite the effects of grocery and pharmacy shutdowns, particularly for households without reliable transportation and for older adults managing multiple prescriptions.

• An Aldi store near North Sherman Boulevard and West Custer Avenue closed on Jan. 11, 2026, drawing renewed attention to grocery access on the north side.
• Five Pick ’n Save stores in the Milwaukee area closed in mid-2025 as part of a broader store-reduction plan by parent company Kroger. Among those affected were locations at 2355 N. 35th St. in Milwaukee, 3701 S. 27th St. in Milwaukee, and nearby stores in Glendale, South Milwaukee and Oak Creek.

In public statements around the Aldi closure, city leaders have emphasized that abrupt store shutdowns can leave residents scrambling to adjust routines for food shopping and prescription refills.

What the city departments would be asked to do

As introduced, the Common Council file focuses on directing city capacity toward recruitment and retention work rather than outlining a specific incentive package. The intent is to dedicate staff attention and interdepartmental coordination to:

• identify neighborhoods with the greatest gaps in grocery and pharmacy access;
• engage existing operators about conditions needed to remain open and invest;
• recruit new grocery and pharmacy providers to underserved areas.

Recent closings have intensified concerns about residents’ ability to access fresh food and nearby pharmacies, particularly for those with limited transportation options.

Next steps

The legislation’s immediate future depends on committee review and any amendments that may define deliverables, timelines, and how the work would be staffed. If advanced and adopted by the full Common Council, the proposal would formally assign the city’s development and public health agencies a coordinated role in addressing essential retail access as an economic development and community health issue.

Separately from the city’s recruitment and retention effort, community and nonprofit services continue to operate mobile and emergency food options across Milwaukee County, but the introduced Common Council file is aimed at restoring brick-and-mortar access to groceries and prescriptions in neighborhoods where closures have left residents traveling farther for basic needs.