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 Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:26 am Post subject: ASCO Announcements 3/3/2009 |
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Dear Sheridan Road Resident, [sent March 3, 2009]
Public Hearing
ALDI'S TO ARRIVE AT GRANVILLE & BROADWAY Meet the Corporate Honchos & Developer
The Edgewater Development Corporation is sponsoring a public meeting on the plans of the Aldi Corporation to locate in the new mixed use building on the Northeast corner of Granville and Broadway.
Public Hearing
Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
Ballroom, Broadway Armory Park
5917 N. Broadway
Pay to Park parking lot with ticket machine.
Bring single dollars and/or change.
We are wondering....
- Is Aldi's better or worse for our property values than a vacant building or empty lot?
- Who will shop at an Aldi's on Granville?
- The community spent years voting parts of Granville dry; what will be the impact of a new liquor license?
- Do we really want a package good liquor license on this neglected street?
- Will giving a liquor license to Aldi's affect the CVS law suit for a liquor license?
- What is the status of the "Clarovista"; how many units have closed?
- What plans does Bill Platt have for the rest of the commercial spaces?
A Field Trip to Aldi's in Uptown
There were some conflicting stories circulating in Edgewater about the proposal to locate an Aldi's Store at Granville & Broadway. My neighbor and I decided to see for ourselves what an Aldi's store was like.
We headed down to Sunnyside and Broadway and it didn't help that it was pouring out. We pulled in the parking lot, under the CTA tracks, and learned how customer unfriendly a store can be.
The "disabled parking" was on the other side of the entrance from the carts. We had to go back out in the rain and deposit a quarter to get one. Oh sure we got it back, but we had to go back out in the rain to get it.
Shopping was like visiting a food pantry. Boxes with their tops slit off were sitting on the floor and we had to go around and pick from the boxes. The only name brand we saw was Tyson on a few boxes of chicken parts.
One thing we noted was that in many cases, while the prices were lower, the packages were smaller. They sell their own brand and many off brands.
We could not find any specialty items like fat free or sugar free. There was no one to ask for help or to check if certain items were in stock.
I got excited when I found a 4 oz box of organic blueberries for only $1.49. They were solid and looked good. I got them home and found that they were too sour to eat, even with sugar.
I figured out that I do better at Target or by shopping the sales at Dominick's.
Sheli Lulkin
A Few Facts About ALDI'S and the Development at Broadway/Granville
Aldi's is a highly successful German Company with a long track record. Barbara Sloan, condo owner from NEBA, shared an article from Business Week which tells of their European expansion plans. The EDC shared this article from the Wall Street Journal about their U.S. expansion plans. The New York Times published an article on the expansion of Aldi's in the United States.
In the United States, Aldi's is less popular and its presence in a community is usually a sign of a poorer neighborhood and a definite sign of lower prices. There are several websites dedicated to what is good to buy there and what isn't. Canned mushrooms rank high; fresh produce ranks low.
Representatives of Aldi's have told the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce that this store would be a "new concept" store. It would have graphics on the walls and we think that these stores would not be free standing but located in mixed use buildings. They will also be located in neighborhoods with higher demographics, helping to remove the stigma of their name on a window.
The very presence of Aldi's has been a concern to those people who work to keep up our property values. People who want to refinance their units or get a good selling price are having a hard time in this economy. The Aldi's store will be located on Broadway at the North end of the building.
Some Aldi's stores sell cheap package liquor and ASCO will oppose this. We have invested 20 years in cleaning up Granville. The sale of package goods is no longer allowed on Granville and this has caused a noticeable decrease in loitering and panhandling.
Aldi's is not known as a customer friendly store. There is no customer service but there is often a security guard. They sell out of cut-open boxes stacked on the floor, do not help bag groceries and charge for grocery bags. There is no help for seniors or the disabled. The aisles are wide because of the need to haul out boxes.
Some bloggers say that they are the same company as Trader Joe's and carry the same products. The former is partially true; the latter is not. Anyone who shops Trader Joe's and goes into Aldi's can tell you that these are not the same products. The Aldi's corporation bought up Trader Joe's but they remain separate.
At the ASCO Annual Meeting we voted unanimously to oppose the sale of package good liquors at this location. We have been in contact with Alderman Joe Moore, in whose ward the store will be located. Ald. Moore has promised us that he will NOT support a license to sell package goods.
The ASCO Board met on March 3rd and reviewed materials supplied by the Edgewater Development Corporation (EDC). The Board reiterated its opposition to a package goods license and voted to continue investigating the issue, including the parking facilities and assistance for senior citizens. We are also interested in what type of signage is planned. |
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