MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- People in north Minneapolis came together Thursday evening to celebrate the new Wirth Community Co-Op.

The grocery store opened on the 1800 block of Penn Avenue North with more than 700 members, hoping to bring healthy food options to people in the neighborhood.

"This is a great day for North, this is a great day for the community, for the entire city -- congratulations to everyone who made this happen!" Mayor Betsy Hodges said at the store's opening.

According to the city of Minneapolis, 67,000 residents live more than a mile from a single supermarket, making it one of the largest federally-designated food deserts in the country.

The idea of the Wirth Co-Op was initiated 10 years ago. Now, organizers hope it will bring new life to the neighborhood.