KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Knoxville Community Development Corporation (KCDC) is planning to use a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to open a unique retail space in the Western Heights area.

The USDA made the announcement last week, saying it was awarding almost $6 million to groups across the country to make it easier for people to access healthy foods.

The KCDC was awarded over $100,000, which the group said it would use to open a food retailer that offers SNAP benefits. It comes as the group continues work on its "Transforming Western" project, renovating that part of town.

"About 28 percent of residents in Western or Beaumont neither own a car nor are within a mile of a somewhere they can buy healthy food, and we know that's a challenge," KCDC CEO Ben Bentley said Wednesday. "We want to fix that."

Bentley said the group would be spending the next six months to plan how it will design and build the space.