“Convenience. Convenience. That sums it all up,” says Jerry Bergner, Jacobsville resident.

Right off North Main Street sits an empty grocery store. To some in the neighborhood, the store was their only source for food.

“Like say I’m in the middle of a meal and I need something and I can skip right over and get it,” says Bergner. “You know, to continue cooking.”

For Bergner, the former IGA grocery store was where he shopped.

Now, the Evansville Redevelopment Commission approved $5,500 towards a grocery study in Jacobsville.

“The study that we’re paying for will look at the potential revenue and profit from fuel that could be gleaned from opening gas pumps at that location,” says Kelley Coures, Evansville’s Director of Metropolitan Development.

Fuel and a fast food restaurant could potentially be included as part of the business model to make it more of a full-service stop for commuters and residents. Houchens Industries has operated the IGA store there for years and holds the property lease until the end of 2019.

“Houchens has not made a commitment yet to reopen so it just gets us one more step down the road in trying to work out the reopening of that place,” says Course.

Community residents say that not having a grocery store affects their daily lives.

“It takes me over an hour to get there and back,” says Bergner. “If I need something in a hurry, I’m out of luck.”

City leaders say as of now there aren’t enough people who walk to the grocery store to make it profitable but not having a grocery store where people need to walk makes it difficult.

Bergner agrees.

“A whole lot of people would be happy if another grocery store did come in,” says Bergner. “I mean, I’ve talked to a lot of people around the neighborhood and everybody misses it.”

A similar model of a grocery store, fuel, and fast food service is located at Green River and Heckle Road. The study should be completed by November.