Monday, June 28, 2010

Its Time for Chatham to demand the stores that they want!




Now that Pullman will get their Walmart and pay higher prices than Evergreen Park and Englewood now putting their bid in for 63rd Halsted. Do we really need a Walmart at 83rd and Holland?


Several years ago developers started acquiring land at 77th-79th Stony Island east to South Chicago for a rumored Super K-Mart. Should we now ask Alderman Lyle and Alderman Harris to open talks to Meijer's, Costco or Woodman's, etc?

7 comments:

  1. Many Chatham residents DO want a Wal-Mart.

    I understand the logic that between Pullman & Englewood, is a 3rd Wal-Mart necessary?

    Well, I AM a community resident, and i DO want a Wal-Mart. I don't care about the size as much as it has the stuff we buy -- such as household goods & children's clothes -- at a good price with decent service.

    Just because some residents are very loud & adamant doesn't mean they represent the whole community.

    If they could show an actual interest in a particular store, i might be interested in supporting it, even if i won't shop there.

    i would especially be interested to see how many signatures could be obtained for something OTHER than a Wal-Mart (or a study done to show what stores 60619 residents go out of the neighborhood to shop at)

    i know i am not interested in any of the stores suggested by the CHatham Avalon Park Community Council blog.

    If it's just an anti-Wal-Mart movement, then they will be as effective as the Republicans or the Uptown anti-Shiller coalition that is against the Wilson Yards development. It results in a lot of anger but doesn't address the concerns of other parts of the community.

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  2. Well I agree that the most of the stores listed on the CAPCC blog are unreasonable request for the space and the related stores in the Chatham Market Development. As well I agree that some residents want the Walmart and those who want it for the right and wrong reaons have fun shopping. But for the rest of the community who are not interested in Walmart for whatever reason I'm saying lets not complain but get out and make our voices heard. The land has sat vacant for several years and large enough to accomodate a large scale store that gives residents options other than Walmart.

    The community has had some studies done, and that what brought Target and Nike.

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  3. Without a doubt, Wal-Mart and some supporters have had some questionable actions (such as not having some kind of representative at local meetings)

    But Opposition without an alternative (or a very very very strong case for the status quo) just looks like whining.

    As long as there is a store that meets some of the needs of higher employment and more shopping choices, more people would be willing to say no to Wal-Mart.

    Costco seems like a great alternative. Or how about Ikea? Or, here's a crazy one...if Leonard & Donna Harris made enough from Chatham Food Market to start thier own "Har-Mart"?

    But it seems like there hasn't been ANY momentum around one business, nor a leader with vision for this issue to create that support needed for a viable alternative to Wal-Mart.

    i know i keep bringing up Uptown, but they have great examples that are relevent to us. They have a loud group that claims to represent "the community", but yet they keep losing elections. They even wasted $50,000 to shut down the Wilson Yards development. And it's because their momentum was "anti-something, vs. a vision of hope and possibility (like the Obama campaign drew on, to win support from all kinds of epople, including Republicans)that they lost out.

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  4. Yes, I do not understand why you kep bringing up Uptown. Chatham and Uptown are two seperate and distinct communities that have very little in common.

    You continually state there are no alternatives but the reality is Alderman Brookins and the developers have and continue to have alternatives that they have blown off and put their eggs in one basket to back Walmart.

    I do not have a problen with someone wanting to save money but I and others quality of life should not hve to be sacrificed s you can save a couple of pennies.

    But, the bottom line is still that the City council HAS NOT approved the Chatham Market Walmart.

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  5. Heh, I was on record over at the CAPCC blog to call for a Lord & Taylor. To be sure it's likely not going to happen but it's something to dream of. :P

    Surely other than a Wal-Mart there is something else that is absolutely needed in this community to place at Chatham Market.

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  6. i bring up Uptown because they are an example of of where Chatham will be in a couple of years. While there are differences in the neighborhood (i.e. ethnicity), i see some things that are CLEAR parallels. Re-read my explanation -- residents who claim they are "THE community" (rather than a significant part) are ignoring what another part of the community want, and can't find some kind of compromise that meets both's needs/desires in some way.

    i understand that Ald. Brookins should be the leader in getting a store to come in. But if he won't push for what you "want", then why can't community leaders agree on something they DO want, and organize for it. There's no law that says the alderman must drive development, especially if some community members are so vocal about property they do not own (nor the government).

    It's not that hard to get petitions signed, especially for somethign specific as a store. But in all of these 6 years, residents who don't want Wal-Mart can't come to an agreement of one or two stores to rally around? That's what baffles me...there's been plenty of time for "the community" to select an alternative.

    How hard is it to bring in a company to hear from residents who want a business to come? People (and corporations) try to avoid meetings where they are placed in a bad light. But if even "just" 100 people would show up to a meeting for a business, how many would really blow them off completely? Wouldn't they at least pay it lip service and get a press release?

    Also, How do i know the community wants a Miejer's (for example)? Do they even know what kind of store that is?

    Also the fact is that our community DOES desire lower priced stores -- hence all the dollar stores around, that are still in business, makes me think that a sizeable part of the community does want a Wal-Mart...and they are residents too.

    And what's the difference between Target and Wal-Mart? They are pretty much the same category of store to me, just that Wal-Mart may have a few others options that Target doesn't. If there isn't a problem with Target, then what's the problem with Wal-mart? If it's about traffic...won't other businesses cause the same problem? And if not, won't it be bcause of lighter business (and thus less jobs, less taxes, less economic development).

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  7. Well this opinioniated loud mouth who is a 3rd generation 6th Ward resident will continue to voice his displeasure and use the term "community".

    Alderman Brookins doesn't care about the 6th ward and nor should we expect him to do anything to benefit us. Just look at the Reggio's fiasco.

    Also, there are conversations going on about development throughout the ward that you and members of GCA and the Carl Lewis gang are not privy too.

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