From the early 1990s until last year, a Sun Fresh grocery store was the centerpiece of the Red Bridge Shopping Center in south Kansas City.

His surprise departure last January left a void in the grocery business at a time when the mall was otherwise on the mend with new tenants like Barrio Mexican Kitchen + Bar and Crows Coffee.

Soon, however, a new grocery store will take over the 3,200-square-foot space left by Sun Fresh. Construction on the Red Bridge Farm Fresh Market will begin later this month and is expected to open in the spring or early summer, according to Lane4 Property Group, owner of the shopping center.

“Grocery stores are often the heart of a community and since purchasing the center in 2015, we have prioritized having a quality grocer in the center,” said Lane4 partner Brandon Buckley. “We believe we have found the perfect solution for Red Bridge and it will benefit the community for years to come.”

The new store, at 11212 Holmes Road, will have a bakery, deli, liquor department and a Fruitopia fruit drink counter. It is owned by the same group that operates El Mercado Fresco, a local Hispanic grocery chain with four locations. Red Bridge Farm Fresh Market, which unlike its other stores will not focus on Hispanic products, is a new concept for the group.

The group will also open an international grocery store this spring in a former Walmart Neighborhood Market space at 10303 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park.

Planned renovations include a new roof, patio, parking lot improvements and new landscaping. According to a press release, the store is expected to create 80 new jobs with an average wage of $15 an hour.

The project is funded in part by a $1.4 million tax diversion agreement between the city and Lane4’s Red Bridge Properties, Inc.

For more information about Red Bridge Farm Fresh Market, visit kcfarmfresh.com