Historic Helena Church Donated to Become Big River Grocery
A Cornerstone for a New Future:
Helena, Arkansas, is buzzing with renewed hope as a significant milestone has been reached in the journey to establish Big River Grocery (BRG). The historic 1925 First Presbyterian Church building has been generously donated to local non-profit and BRG fiscal sponsor Delta Magic for the express purpose of becoming the future home of this community-owned grocery store. This monumental gift, pledged by the First Presbyterian Church congregation on the building’s 100th birthday was formalized with a Memorandum of Agreement on May 29, 2025, which marks a pivotal moment for Downtown Helena.
More Than Just a Building
The donation of this century-old church, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is far more than a simple transfer of property; it's a symbolic and practical foundation for a vibrant new chapter in Helena's story.
The adaptive reuse of the church's ground floor will transform approximately 6500 square feet into a neighborhood-scale cooperatively owned grocery store, creating access to fresh and healthy foods to a food desert. This site offers high visibility and easy access for local residents, whether they walk or drive. The plan also includes opportunities for other community services such as a shared-use kitchen.
A different experience
“Imagine entering a grocery store, but instead of the glare of bright lights and the smell of disinfectant you were greeted by natural light filtering through beautiful stained glass windows and the smell of fresh cut flowers. This building creates a whole new set of possible experiences that will be unlike anything else,” said architect, Amoz Eckerson from the Helena Architecture Team.
Crucially, the building's historical significance offers practical advantages. Utilizing an existing historic structure helps to save on construction costs and qualifies for state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits, which can be a vital part of the capital needed for the project. The multi-purpose nature of the church building, with a former sanctuary on the second floor and spaces on the third floor, means it can be transformed into nearly 9,000 square feet of flexible community space for performances, public gatherings, yoga classes, workshops, and even a health clinic. This mixed-use approach enhances the financial performance of the project since more uses represent more sources of revenue that can help offset certain fixed costs associated with the building. This allows more of the grocery store’s operating budget to go toward employee wages and benefits.
Community-Driven Transformation
The initial unveiling of the church as the prospective site for Big River Grocery happened during the first-ever Downtown Summit on April 26, 2025. Stakeholders toured the site, envisioning a store they could call their own, with mock-ups of produce and dairy departments alongside local bolt-on businesses offering baked goods, fresh flowers, and sushi rolls. This direct community engagement is central to the co-op model, where members are empowered to shape the store's direction and product offerings. As Emily Kreuger of Uncharted Philanthropy announced at the Downtown Summit, the King Family also contributed a generous endowment to get started with maintenance and repairs for the facility, further enhancing it as a solid choice.
The Market Study confirmed the superiority of this site relative to other prospective sites due primarily to the strategic location on the corner of Porter and Columbia. This site had higher project gross annual sales, which will be important to the long-term success of the store.
The First Presbyterian Church building is truly becoming a catalyst for change, underpinning Helena's narrative of grit and determination and a bold step toward a stronger, healthier, and more self-reliant future, built by the people, for the people.