Dollar Store on 87th Street

I ran into this a lot looking at past issues of the Chesterfield Community Council newsletters. I posted a pic of that place here on New Year's Eve. Here's the pic again.
So anyway here's some quotes from these issues...

After a unanimous vote from the body at our March meeting, CCC sent a letter to the Family Dollar Corporation informing them that a Family Dollar at the former Food Basket location would be unwelcome. Our community is in need of a grocery store or produce store. An additional Family Dollar or Dollar Store in our community hinders the stability of our community.

That was from the May 2007 issue but I see this more starting at least in the Sept. 2007 issue...

FAMILY DOLLAR: THE FACTS
1. Family Dollar (FD)did not consult with our elected officials or community leaders
prior to deciding to open at 364 East 87th St..
2. NO AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONTRACTORS PARTICIPATED ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS PROJECT.
3. There are currently six (6) Family Dollar Stores in the 60619 zip code in addition to an abundance of other Dollar Stores.
4. Our community is in need of a grocery store or produce store.
5. According to FD website, they open stores in low-income to middle income communities.
WE SAY NO TO FAMILY DOLLAR !!!!

Well, I suppose I could compare this to what many are doing with Wal-Mart. There are those forces out there that doesn't want Wal-Mart at 83rd Street. I still would shy away from preventing businesses from opening up shop. Of course the residents know exactly what they want in the neighborhood another grocery store in addition to Chatham Food Center and Jewel.

This location itself used to be a grocery store. I don't know when Food Basket left this location. I do know when I found myself on 87th, instead of the familiar Food Basket there was a Family Dollar instead. And I'm sure there was bound to be some opposition.

I heard about another dollar store opening up in Pill Hill near 87th & Stony Island. I heard that the residents there were upset because their window displays wasn't entirely tidy. Rest assured that dollar store cleaned up in no time.

Apparently and you can include me there are those of us who have a preconceived notions of dollar stores. Perhaps it's an income thing and Chatham, Chesterfield and Pill Hill are considered middle class enclaves. At the same time most of the Dollar Stores I've seen are located in mostly poor areas.

In fact they are occupying buildings that used to hold mainstream retailers Food Basket notwithstanding. That Dollar Store on 87th and Stony used to be a Jewel's many years ago. In the early 2000s, Jewel's moved to a shopping center on 95th and Stony Island.

Also a dollar store, I think it's a Family Dollar is located on 87th and Racine. That used to be a Walgreen's that many years ago my family used to frequent. Walgreen's moved to 87th and Ashland not too long ago.

On 95th and Racine there is a Dollar Junction. Not too long ago that also used to be a Walgreen's. It seems some of these stores are attracted to these areas that aren't doing very well. Oh I should mention this Walgreen's moved closer to the Beverly neighborhood at 95th and Ashland. And I know that for certain because I had a classmate who worked there.

I should mention I don't know if it's still there because some buildings were torn down on the block where I thought it was. But Beverly isn't a bad area and even they had a dollar store on 95th Street mind you. I don't know if the residents there were up in arms, but it was there. The block in question is 95th and Western right across the street from The Plaza.

Maybe someone out there can enlighten me on a few things. When did Food Basket close on 87th? And why the resistance to dollar stores?