Sun-Times: Hairston demands Emanuel do more to replace shuttered Dominick's

71st & Jeffrey by Eric Allix Rogers/flickr

It's really unbelievable that the former Dominick's in South Shore still hasn't found another tenant. The space is located at the shopping center on 71st/Jeffrey.

While the Mariano's chain is coming close with a store coming to Bronzeville and another coming to the Lakeshore development on 87th Street they're not interested in the former Dominick's space. Could this become a campaign issue for Mayor Emanuel at least for constituents in South Shore?

 Although one positive development yesterday in addition to voting to raise the minimum wage in Chicago, the city council also voted to acquire the 71st Street Dominick's space. That still didn't serve to appease 5th ward Ald. Leslie Hairston:

South Side Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) said she wants Mayor Rahm Emanuel to summon the CEOs of major grocery chains to a meeting and demand that somebody — anybody — fill the gaping hole at 71st and Jeffrey Boulevard that Dominick’s left nearly a year ago.

“It’s very difficult for the mayor to say he’s doing enough when he’s announcing grocery stores all over everywhere except in the place that needs it the most,” Hairston said.

“He knows people. He could do more. I need him to do more. It will be a year in a few days. It is a black mark on him. Absolutely. It says that he doesn’t care. I want him to use the power that he has as mayor of the City of Chicago to spur economic development in South Shore, just as he’s done in the South Loop. Whatever he has done in all of those other situations, I expect the same here.”

Hairston was asked whether the vacant store two blocks from her home would cost Emanuel votes in the Feb. 24 election.

“Well, he’s already lost support because it has remained vacant. He’s got to earn that support back,” she said.

There is one update on a future Mariano's in South Shore according to this article: "On Wednesday, Hairston said she’s heard from Mariano and he’s ready to talk about other sites — but not at Jeffrey Plaza."

So we should open up the floor here. If a Mariano's were to come closer to our part of town where would you like to see it?