Representatives for Wal-Mart received a largely negative response earlier this week at an East Lakeview neighborhood meeting. Residents had gathered to hear the retailer’s proposal for a “Neighborhood Market” in the 2800 block of North Broadway.
Unlike the conventional Wal-Mart Supercenters, the proposed market would only be selling food products, produce, medication, and other “limited” merchandise that neighbors would select. It would also only be one-fifth the size of one of the Supercenters.
John Bisio, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, says the store would create between 75 and 100 jobs and would occupy a vacant structure where a PetSmart once stood.
Residents were predominantly unimpressed with Wal-Mart’s plan.
Many didn’t see the need for a Wal-Mart in the community, even one that only focused on groceries. East Lakeview resident Jill Zenoff said that the city isn’t a “food desert” and ran through a list of several local grocery stores, including The Market Place, Milk and More, and Trader Joe’s, all of which are near the proposed Wal-Mart location.
Other residents were concerned that Wal-Mart would force area small businesses to close, a sentiment echoed by the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce.
“[Small businesses] built this community 30 years ago when nobody wanted to live here,” said Chamber executive director Maureen Martino. She added that 80 percent of the establishments in the city are small businesses. Martino was also concerned that Wal-Mart had not conducted any studies demonstrating the impression their store would have on these local businesses.
Some residents wondered how Wal-Mart would integrate into the community, whether the retailer would support the city’s growing gay and lesbian population, and voiced concern over Wal-Mart’s policy of disallowing workers’ unions.
Alderman Tom Tunney said he wants to evaluate city residents’ responses before deciding whether or not to support Wal-Mart’s proposal.