He’s reviving the former Linwood Sun Fresh. Now, he wants to reopen a KCK grocer
Kansas City, Kansas, is a step closer to filling the vacant Merc Co+op grocery store that closed at the end of 2025.
Wyandotte County’s Economic Development and Finance Committee on Monday unanimously approved a letter of intent submitted by Anthony Estrada of Santa Fe LLC to operate a new grocery store in the Merc’s place. They also fast-tracked that letter to go before the Unified Government Board of Commissioners on Thursday.
And as negotiations continue, Estrada, who has worked in and around grocery store management and consulting in the Kansas City metro for decades, has a key objective for his project in KCK. “Our main goal is to restore food access to downtown Kansas City, Kansas,” he told the committee Monday.
If Estrada gets what he wants, KCK could soon have a grocery store back in operation that would serve its residents 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily. That store, to be named United Market, would have triple the amount of produce options as the Merc did, a full-service meat department, a scratch bakery and products that are priced in a way that fits in with the community’s income levels, he said.
The market would not sell alcohol, given Estrada wants to use coolers previously used to store alcoholic beverages to expand the store’s dairy selection.
His proposal comes months after the Merc closed its doors to the public following five years of operation in its location at 501 Minnesota Avenue.
But Estrada’s plans for revitalizing a closed grocery store by opening a United Market don’t end in KCK. He’s also behind the plans to open a United Market at the site of Kansas City, Missouri’s, former Sun Fresh location near 31st Street and Prospect Avenue.
The two stores would be able to support each other and share resources as needed, Estrada told committee members.
The letter of intent from Santa Fe asks that negotiations consider giving the business one year of free rent in the building, then start paying $5,000 monthly in 2027 through April 2029.
After that period, if Estrada purchases the building, it would have to continue to be used as a grocery store for at least 10 years after its sale, said Todd LaSala, an attorney representing the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK.
Estrada estimated that it would cost at least $570,000 to outfit and redesign the space for use, and his letter asked that the Unified Government chip in $150,000 in demolition, construction or signage costs. He plans to hire between 15 and 20 people from within the community to staff the store.
“You are going to have neighbors serving neighbors,” he said during Monday’s meeting.
Local ties
Estrada has seen how the Merc’s closure, even after a few months, has reduced the community’s access to healthy foods, disrupted people’s daily routines and increased how far people have to travel for food in their community.
And, as someone with ties to KCK — he said his grandfather ran Santa Fe Market about 50 years ago — he wanted to make sure replacing the Merc doesn’t only serve people seeking something to eat, but also fosters connections among community organizations.
He hopes United Market will be able to collaborate with churches, schools, neighborhood groups and more to host community engagement events and build relationships, Estrada told committee members.
“I feel like everyone deserves to have the right items at the right price,” he said.
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 2:02 PM.
