SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse's South Side neighborhood is closer to having a new grocery store. Community leaders and local politicians helped break ground Friday to kick off construction of the South Side Food Cooperative.

The goal is to give residents a convenient place to buy nutritious and affordable food. Beyond that, officials hope the co-op will help spur more development in the area by bringing the community together.

"That will, either directly or indirectly, allow people to think about the South Side differently, think about themselves differently while they're here, and for developers from outside thinking about what the potential for the space is," said project architect Sekou Cooke.

Construction on the co-op is expected to be finished by the end of the year.