I agree with you wholeheartedly, but it is still the person's choice to shop wherever he/she wants and I don't think you should get bashed if you choose to spend money elsewhere. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the transportation infrastructure atrocities committed downtown over the last 40 years (and still being done today) are a big part of why people can live there and feel no attachment or pride in their neighborhoods. When you can zip to a discount grocer-anchored strip center in the Northland with the same ease as driving to your flashy downtown store it is both a blessing and a curse.KCPowercat wrote: Yeah make sure you pass on our thanks too. Ridiculous. Let's not support someone investing downtown because soup might be five cents higher.
I am glad I don't know these people.
Not everyone downtown was going apeshit about not having a 30,000 sq foot upscale-designed grocer in the CBD. Did anyone say they would move away from downtown without a store like this? Would the lack of a large grocer stop development of condo rehabs? This site went round and round about how many wanted Quick Trip/7Eleven style convenience stores dotting the urban landscape instead of a large grocer. I always interpreted the big grocer as a pretty ho-hum, suburban-influenced desire. WITH THAT SAID: it's a pretty unreal amenity down there. There is no denying that store has added a ton downtown and to that corner. HOWEVER-- to borrow a phrase from Funk-- it's still a "plasma screen while the toilet is broken" issue for the downtown area. That gets us away from the generally positive impact of this store so I apologize in advance, but it needed to be said. I'm not saying the money should've/could've went to x,y, and z because it was the right thing to do at the time. I will just end saying that all the "fancy" improvement downtown will not mean anything if there is not a concerted effort to attract much, much more private investment in terms of employment and housing (the foundation or plumbing, toiletry of the area). Mayor Barnes (AND THE COUNCIL) knew this and that's why she was trying like hell to get corporate HQ, housing, and amenities down there at such an aggressive pace-- slowing down on the foundation issues will turn downtown and all its plasma screens into a major liability (it is already happening to an extent).