Sunday, November 29, 2009

Family Dollar- Would you support a moratorium on the opening of any new stores?

This is a repost of a question from Concerned Citizens of Chatham. After reading the Chesterfield Community Council November newsletter. In the newsletter they stated their displeasure with the store on 87th King Drive and also stated that there was six stores in zip code 60619. On the Family Dollar website it states that the following stores are located in zipcode 60619
  • 8341 S Cottage Grove Ave
  • 1312 E 79th St
  • 364 E 87th St
  • 51 E 71st Street
  • 1425 E 71st St
  • 501 E 79th St
There was a store on 74th & Cottage Grove that has recently closed.

The suggestion of a moratorium ensures that there is community input in the opening of stores. Currently in the Sixth Ward there are moratoriums on the opening of :
1. Hair Salons along 75th and 79th from State to Cottage Grove
2. Liquor Stores on 79th from State to Cottage Grove

The above moratoriums were resident initiated and not forced by the Alderman. In a past conversation I had with her concerning expanding the hair salon area she stated that I had to give her evidence that it is something that a majority of the residents supported. The above moratoriums were brought to the Alderman by CAPCC on behalf of the residents in the affected areas.

The comments on Concerned Citizens of Chatham on this issue are as follows:

-One on 87th and King Drive and one on 79th Street and yet another one on Cottage Grove near 83rd Street. Yeah there should be a moratorium. Let me know if I missed one.

-I would also add barber shops, hair salons, chicken & fish spots.

-HOW DO I SUPPORT?

- personally I could do without nail salons.

-DOLLAR STORES ARE AS BAD AS LIQUOR STORES AND ASIAN BEAUTY SUPPLIES AS WELL AS THOSE CHICKEN PLACES

-I support that move. We have an overabundance of many of the same kind of stores in our zip code.

-A moratorium won't help get new business. It's fine for a social problem, like liquor stores & strip clubs. But the moratorium won't get any other business to come. Look at the new "green" building on 79th and that's why they're empty.

-Instead of listing what we don't want (isn't that the complaint about CAPCC, Worlee?), what we NEED to focus on is what businesses SHOULD come, and figure out why we're driving OUT of our community to them. Is it the parking? The people (i.e. more integrated) ? Customer service? Cost? Something else?

What do you think?

4 comments:

  1. Here's a tweet from Zack Issacs @ http://twitter.com/bigzack84

    @TheSixthWard Try to convince Alderman Lyle that our "middle class" community doesn't need any more Dollar Stores or Big Sams.

    ReplyDelete
  2. i posted those last 2 Facebook comments.

    Look, i think it's good to keep out businesses that cause serious social problems, like bars & strip clubs.

    But how is all this negativity going attract businesses?

    If i were considering opening a business in Chatham, i might think twoce, because my business might be next on the hit list. And if Chathamites are willing to drive out of the neighborhood to do shopping anyway...?



    BTW, the beauty shops aren't "Asian beuaty shops" - they're geared toward AFrican-Americans. No one is stopping blacks from owning their own shops. Also, anyone bother to invite such business owners to live in our community? St. Mark United Methodist Church, for example, has several people who are freindly toward Koreans & Korean culture. (This is in regards to one Facebook comment).

    i hope those who posted on Facebook will do so on the blog...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I understand your point but the reality is that although there are residents who do not like these type of stores none of them appear to be closing to soon as well as the other stores mentioned. So it appears that there are residents who like them.

    Where I agree with the comments is that we have reached "critical mass" with non essential stores and services. I as well as others have to question whether or not 9 hair salons( as we have on 83rd Street), irregardless of who owns them, within a half of mile is helpful or hurtful. At some point we are going to have to find a process to limit non essential businesses so we can get a healthy mix of businesses that meet the needs of residents so they do not have to go outside the community to shop.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think there should be a focus as I have in other posts to find potential replacements for these dollar stores. If the Chesterfield neighborhood wants another grocery store then we should attempt to find one. If there any other amenity that Chatham could use either than nail and beaty salons in addition to barbershops then I think we should find out what they are and pursue them.

    I would have no problem with moratoriums if we can find a way to attract businesses that may do well in this part of the city. Not that I would know what they would be. At the same time there just has to be alternatives to what already exists in the community.

    ReplyDelete

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