For the last few years, the Riverside location of JD’s Supermarket has been more than just a place to buy groceries for Southeast Austinites. It is a place where neighbors can find fresh food and traditional Latino products, families gather for meals, and individuals without cars can shop close to home. Now, store representatives fear Austin’s light rail plans could put the future of the business at risk.
During an Oct. 9 news conference outside the supermarket, store representatives and community leaders called on Austin Transit Partnership to reconsider an eminent domain proceeding that would result in ATP acquiring part of the property for the Austin light rail, the largest element of Project Connect, a plan to expand citywide public transportation through a new electric rail system.
The most recent proposed route includes a station near East Riverside Drive and Montopolis Drive. To build the rail system, ATP may need to purchase land or parts of properties along the route. While the current plans would not shut down the physical building, the land that holds the business’ gas pumps would be bought up by the light rail developers.
The gas station plays an important role in keeping the business open, and that construction could create additional problems. Vanessa Calixto, the store’s risk manager, said the gas station connected to the supermarket accounts for about 30% of its sales. She explained that many customers stop for gas before heading inside to purchase groceries. Losing those customers could force the business to close within one or two years, according to store representatives.
The location has created 90 jobs since opening its Riverside location in 2023, its website states. Now, the company is concerned that some of those jobs could also be at risk.
During the news conference, store representatives said they received an official letter from ATP in March about the possible displacement. They later met with the agency in June and September but said they still have questions about how much of the property could be affected.
Calixto told the Chronicle that the business has identified nearby properties whose owners may be willing to sell in hopes that ATP will consider these properties as an alternative purchase that would allow the gas station to remain open.
For its part, ATP disputes claims that the project would displace the supermarket.
“The Austin light rail design does not displace JD’s Supermarket,” Jennifer Pyne of ATP told the Chronicle.
Pyne said the project would move a sidewalk and utility pole closer to the store but would not block access during or after construction. She added that ATP has communicated with JD’s representatives about 20 times over the past two years.
“We are still in design. That design work is not final,” Pyne said, adding that ATP will continue looking for ways to reduce impacts on surrounding properties. She did not specifically address whether the gas station would be able to continue operating under the same conditions.
For Susana Almanza, executive director of People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources who has lived in Montopolis since 1995, the issue is about more than a dispute over property. She said the building was formerly a church, and that neighbors supported turning it into a grocery store because the community needed a nearby place to buy fresh food and traditional Latino products.
“We finally worked to bring JD’s here to the community, and also to have the foods that Mexicans, Hispanics, and Latinos recognize,” she said. “And they feel at home.”
On top of offering a welcoming feel for that community, JD’s also serves low-income individuals, serving approximately 2,250 customers using EBT benefits at its Riverside location each month, according to its website.
Pedro Hernandez Jr., who has lived in the area since 1975, said having a grocery store within walking distance makes a significant difference in his daily life when access to transportation is limited.
“I, for example, don’t have a car. So for me, it’s easy to get there,” he told the Chronicle.
Hernandez said he has participated in discussion groups connected to ATP for about five years and has expressed frustration over changes to the rail plans. Almanza also criticized what she described as a lack of communication with the Montopolis neighborhood outreach team.
Calixto said JD’s is also a gathering place for residents. During lunch, many customers use the second floor to eat and spend time together. For some people who live far from their families, she explained, the store offers a place to connect with others.
“The benefit is feeling at home,” she said.
State Rep. Lulu Flores, whose District 51 includes Southeast Austin, attended the news conference and expressed support for public transportation, while also raising concerns about how construction could impact neighborhoods already facing displacement and gentrification.
Flores said her office would be involved in efforts to address residents’ concerns. Meanwhile, JD’s hopes to find an alternative that would allow the light rail project to move forward without putting the supermarket’s future at risk.
“We need transportation that truly serves people,” Flores said, “but not at the expense of other communities or the gentrification of our neighborhoods that have been here for years.”
This article appears in October 23 • 2026.