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Market demand in the East End
08/10/2010 7:41 PM by John M
Style Weekly this week gives the cover to the need for a grocery store at 25th and Nine Mile:
The effort to bring a grocery store to 25th and Nine Mile offers a case study in inner-city redevelopment: In the economically distressed corridor, retail development offers perhaps the greatest opportunity for revival. Low-barrier grocery jobs — such as clerks, stockers, baggers — offer potential employment to the unemployed. In addition to bringing much-needed everyday staples, such as milk, bread, meats and canned goods, grocery stores also serve as important community gathering places.
Overall, the article is very solid. My complaint is that it seems to paint the entire area as low income.
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“My complaint is that it seems to paint the entire area as low income” and there’s an argument that the area is otherwise well off?
No, but the demand for a new market at 25th and Nine Mile is not entirely driven by a market existing off of food stamps and without a car.
the next time a large chain wants a favorable location insist on placing another store to serve a demographic normally left underserved. maybe if some of the big boys embraced some of the lessons learned by smaller more responsive grocers they could still make a profit and serve a community in need of better price and selection options. any thoughts church hill?i mean these chains do average their COMBINED sales right? that means some stores help carry their less profitable brethren and obviously if this meant the difference between profit and loss it would be unworkable. somehow i think a downtown big box store would do great here in “i need to watch my money land”buddycorbett
Do we really need another Chimbo market?
@Vito – What in the article gave you the idea that there was a call for anything like that?
Based entirely on it’s size and reputation, I’d guess that the Chimbo Mart falls under the “small, independent grocers — with fewer products, less variety and often jacked-up prices” described as the problem.
everybody needs to be close to food…
No we don’t need another Chimbo Mart in this district. They make their money off of the people in the 7th district (80% food stamps recipents) but put no money back into this district (community). Then rides their high horse back to the county and spend our money there. We need a market that will make money in our district and put some back in our community to help it to strive and grow.
isnt this the type of feel goodery nonsense that created Community Pride, and kept large parts of the city underserved by them for years?
I was born in Churchill 1948 and as a child growing up there it was a beautiful area, it was a city within a city, you had your restaurants, grocery stores one on Jefferson ave, and the Safeway store on 25th across from the Triangle grill. you have movies houses and department stores of all kinds and so much more, It would be
nice to see that area come alive again like it use to be. We do need a nice grocery store for all to use and to put it in a location that’s convenient to everybody
bopst!buddycorbett
Speaking of Community Pride. I remember a former clerk with them relating to me the difficulties of running a store in that area. The problem of rampant theft was a constant challange.
how about a ‘whole foods’ for food stamps only?
http://www.oregonhill.net/2010/07/31/earthlings-coopinternet-grocery/
Don’t know about food stamps though, and I don’t know how many poor people in Church Hill have computers or regular internet access.
Coyrina, love what you have to say! I hope some things can get back to the Church Hill of your childhood myself.
John M., how about an interview with Coyrina or others that grew up here. Maybe a series of walk back in time stories first hand. There have to be some folks out there with plenty of old pictures too!
I’ve had the same idea, but don’t have the time. If anyone is interested in volunteering…
John- I might be into doing that. My schedule is kind of tight but I’m really into it.
@15 Great idea!
We’ve long needed an affordable grocery store in this neighborhood. However, do not assume everyone is on food stamps. It would be great if the store carried “whole foods” type items, but overall, we need a more affordable option. Not everyone is one food stamps and those that are need to get the most out of it. As someone that has had to feed 3 kids on a limited budget, the cost of an extra dollar for a food item can really add up.
I can attest to Churchill econonmic independence and thriving business community…I was born in 1961. We really need to study the real problem which was the flight of the population from the city to the “Burbs” in 50’s and 60’s. This movement with our FAScination with the gasoline engine moved shopping to centers and malls. Well, gas shortages, recessions and drug trade gave breed to a new type of public housing population. This made homeowers in area very cautious of shopping at Standard Drug Store and Food Circus – also fear spread to those who would drive from near by henrico neighborhoods. What we need is a revitalization in the overall district and it starts by not cattle-herding people in out-dated public housing. Opps! I’m sorry isn’t that the block of vote that keep us in this predicament.
I grew up in the church hill of coyrina’s time and remember when we walked to the five in dime store. Then to the Safeway Grocery store for staples such as milk, sugar and bread. On the way back we would walk thru the libray to catch a little of the “air conditioning” they had. It was a wonderful place to grow up and I would love to see it return to that state and then some. In the end, the citizens of The Hill can make it happen. I believe it with all my heart.
So not having a car is equivalent to living off of food stamps?
hey luke you cant expect logic from a schmuck who makes pointed degrading remarks towards a particular group of people then styles himself a moden day diogenes. these dorks are like neutered dogs…..they just dont get it.thanks for making conversation under your real name,only thru our differences will we learn from each other.i would like to see a trader joes up here. by the way check out the Farm to Family market on mech turnpike. great organic and ultra fresh produce and dairy.buddycorbett
I was thinking of a combination of a grocery store and outdoor markets like the ones in large cities -a way to provide goods and jobs or a chance to work for oneself.
If we can bring private and public dollars together to offer arts and culture (Center Stage) to the affluent, certainly we can think of a way to make food available to the working classes, elderly and poor.
After doing two stories this summer (one video, one print) covering this topic, I appreciate that Style Weekly gave the topic such good, mainstream press.
Several weeks ago I created a database that really shows the disproportionate stock of grocery stores among several counties: Henrico, Chesterfield, Richmond, Petersburg.
Henrico County has the most grocery stores, with 42, although Chesterfield is close behind with 41 stores. However, Chesterfield is almost twice the size of Henrico County, and has a bigger population. One zipcode in Henrico, 23233, has almost more grocery stores than all of Richmond: 8 for them versus 10 for all of Richmond.
The numbers get more interesting when comparing number of grocery stores per 10,000 residents. Henrico county has 1.5 stores per 10,000 whereas Richmond has .5 stores per 10,000.
Not surprising in my research to find the trend of more grocery stores where median income is higher. The percent below poverty level is high in areas where there are less grocery stores. Of course, that doesn’t hold true for EVERY zip code.
http://www.alixbryan.com/2010/07/richmond-food-deserts-produce-urban-farm-trend/
I have been really hurting since moving to Richmond from Vancouver, Canada, where I did not need to own a car and could get anywhere by walking or public transit. We need a grocery store in Churchill pronto. It would be nice to have a few coffee shops, and some more small diners and businesses like shoe repair, dry cleaners, etc. I just want to be able to walk or bike to these kind of businesses again, like I could in Vancouver.
To attract these businesses I think we need to make the streets more bike friendly, and sidewalks more pedestrian friendly. That and bringing in mixed income housing will bring a lot more traffic into the area, both low and middle income. Everyone who owns a car or not, who is on food stamps or not, deserves food security and to have a grocery store accessible from their neighborhood.
Rachel… learn to spell it is Church Hill
#27, learn some manners, it’s a neighbor to whom you are talking. Also, you may want to add a comma or a semi-colon to your post, your grammar is appalling!
Rachel
Great ideas; all of them. Church Hill WAS all that at one time – it’s own little, resourceful city.
I;m curious. If there was a real Farmers market at 17th Street, with only local produce and product, with a butcher and fishmonger, marketed toward Church Hill and the Lofts, would it survive and flourish, and help fill some of the void? There is also a technique by which food stamp recipients can buy at farmers markets.
number 27 can you spell asshole? e..d…s.punkass.
The part of my psyche that makes me look at tabloids is the same part that makes me read Buddy’s comments first on this site. It’s a guilty pleasure.
The problem with the Farmer’s Market is that is not easily accessible by foot if you live in Church Hill and that it is not open after 5:00 pm for those of us that shop on our way home from work.
Also, the Farmer’s market only carries fruits and vegetables and sometimes the Goat’s Milk products. It does not have baby formula, diapers, milk, meat, etc. that are staples.
http://www.farmtofamilyonline.com/Our-Fall-CSA-info.html
This is fairly accessible to Churchill, but there is no local bus route that goes up Mech. Tnpk.
The Forest Hill market carries fruits and vegs, but also baked goods, prepared foods, some dairy, some personal hygeine material, some butchery and some fresh seafood. No paper products or dry goods, but much else. I’m now buying more at SOTJ than at Martin’s.