At a news conference outside the store on Oct. 9, 2026, company representatives and community leaders urged Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) to reconsider acquiring part of the property for the Austin light rail line, a major component of Project Connect. The proposed route includes a station near East Riverside Drive and Montopolis Drive.

The supermarket building is not slated to be demolished under current plans, but JD’s representatives say the project could take land used by its gas pumps. Store risk manager Vanessa Calixto said fuel sales account for about 30% of the business’s revenue, and that losing the pumps could put the supermarket at risk of closing within one or two years.

The Riverside location opened in 2023 and has created 90 jobs, according to the company’s website. JD’s says about 2,250 customers use EBT benefits at the store each month.

ATP spokesperson Jennifer Pyne said the light-rail design does not displace the supermarket. The project would move a sidewalk and utility pole closer to the store, she said, but would not block access during or after construction. Pyne said ATP has communicated with JD’s representatives about 20 times over the past two years and that the design remains unfinished. She did not say whether the gas station could continue operating as it does now.

JD’s said it received a letter from ATP in March about possible property impacts and met with the agency in June and September, but still has questions about how much land could be affected. Calixto said the company has identified nearby properties whose owners might be willing to sell, as an alternative that could preserve the gas station.

For residents, the dispute involves more than the store’s commercial future. Susana Almanza, executive director of People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources and a Montopolis resident since 1995, said neighbors supported converting the building, formerly a church, into a grocery store because the area needed fresh food and familiar Latino products.

Pedro Hernandez Jr., who has lived in the area since 1975, said the store’s location matters to people without cars. He said having a grocery store within walking distance makes it easier to shop when transportation is limited.

State Rep. Lulu Flores, whose District 51 includes Southeast Austin, voiced support for public transportation while warning that construction could compound displacement and gentrification pressures on established neighborhoods. She said her office would work to address residents’ concerns.

ATP says the design process is ongoing and it will continue looking for ways to reduce effects on nearby properties. JD’s and community members are seeking a way for the rail project to proceed without putting the supermarket’s future or its role in the neighborhood at risk.