Home archived-iit IS IT TRUE JUNE 23, 2017

IS IT TRUE JUNE 23, 2017

11

IS IT TRUE one of the shortcomings of downtown Evansville has been and continues to be the fact that there is no grocery store even close to the residential units that are in the area?…there have been some attempts in the past by local investors like Wesselmans and the Sunshine Market that were on the edge of the downtown but couldn’t get enough traction to survive?…there was recently an attempt at a small grocery section by Stratman’s Pharmacy that was a long time downtown business that did their best to make groceries available to downtown residents?…instead of prospering Stratman’s Pharmacy made the decision to cease downtown operations leaving the downtown with no grocery and no pharmacy?…the reality is that the number of customers who are required to keep such businesses profitable just don’t live near the downtown?

IS IT TRUE an investigation was done with urging from Mayor Winnecke to learn what it would take to attract a Trader Joe’s to downtown Evansville in 2008?…the gap in required numbers was staggering?…Trader Joe’s at the time was looking for 50,000 people within a 10 mile radius that had an average income of over $70,000 per year?…until criteria requirements like this are relaxed substantially the idea of getting a Trader Joe’s will continue to be a laughing matter?…all of the new grocery stores from the Aldi Markets to Schnuck’s for the last three decades have been located where there are large blocks of affluence and population?…the horizon for downtown Evansville to attract any grocery that uses demographic criteria is most likely a lifetime or two away?…the numbers required are just not possible without some very high density residential towers full of upper middle class people?

IS IT TRUE there is another issue with the building stock in downtown Evansville that makes it difficult to make a profit in any business that competes for dollars with businesses located in new buildings in the population zones?…the age of the buildings and the primitive state of the electrical and insulation systems make the utility bills exorbitant in downtown Evansville?…when a service provider has a $1,000+ utility bill tries to compete with someone in the burbs who has a $150 bill the playing field is not level and often the difference cannot be made up for in pricing and volume?…until something is done to equalize the cost of doing business in downtown Evansville smart businesses will stay away and starry eyed downtown supporters who believe the hype with try and eventually learn the hard way about empty promises?

IS IT TRUE that the Downtown Market grocery store located on Lincoln Ave. owned and operated by Memorial Community Development Corp. closed their doors without fanfare? …that competition from the big grocery stores chains and neighborhood convenience stores created to much competition for Downtown Market to make a profit? …the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development funneled about $450,000 plus of Community Development Block Grant funds to help fund the Downtown Market grocery store project for Memorial Community Development Corp.?
IS IT TRUE we recall just days before the 2015 City election ended Mayor Winnecke, City Council members, Rev Adrian Brooks of Memorial Baptist Church and many other political movers and shakers of the 4th Ward attended the ribbon-cutting event for the Downtown Market project?  …the timing and the reason of this ribbon cutting events was obvious?  …once again Evansville DMD has funded another questionable business venture without proper vetting?  …we wonder when the local taxpayers will make a public call for the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development to be audited by an outside entity?
IS IT TRUE that the Director of Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development should do a bit more than shrug his shoulders and accept the price increases associated with the elementary but expensive error that was made in designing the width of the North Main Street improvement project?…there are ways to leverage the insurance and bonding that the construction company(s) must have been required to have to get this job?..if relief for this idiotic oversight is not sought we can assume that the stupid mistake was an inside job?…in that case maybe the city should sue its own insurance company for the failures of staff?  …we also feel that this project should be audited by an outside entity?
 Todays “READERS POLL” question is: Do you feel that its time for the City of Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development to be audited by an outside accounting firm?
EDITORS FOOTNOTES:  If you would like to advertise or submit and article in the CCO please contact us City-County Observer@live.com .
Any comments posted in this column doesn’t represents the views or opinions of our advertisers.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

11 COMMENTS

  1. The North Main Street project…..was it a design error, or a construction error? If it was design, that is on who designed it, not the construction company. Obviously, if it was designed correctly, and built wrong, its on the contractor. This info needs to be made public, before blame is assigned.

  2. Rev Adrian Brooks of Memorial Baptist Church and many other political movers and shakers of the 4th Ward have made it clear people of means are not welcome in this area. It is reserved for poor people. The few times I tried to shop at the Town Market it did not have the brands or selection one would expect in a grocery store today. You were much more likely to find what you needed at the corner stop an go.

  3. “IS IT TRUE one of the shortcomings of downtown Evansville has been and continues to be the fact that there is no grocery store even close to the residential units that are in the area?”

    How close does a grocery store need to be? Wesselman’s on Fulton Avenue is about 1.5 miles from the center of downtown, Simpson’s Supermarket is about 2 miles from the same location. I doubt if anybody of the ‘middle class’ variety in Evansville is ever going to walk to the grocery store, no matter how close it is to their front door. Two large supermarkets within 2 miles seems like it isn’t such a major crisis, and if you absolutely MUST get the latest variety of arugula for your salad, you can keep going straight on Washington Avenue for another few miles to the brand new Schnuck’s. A casual glance at the waistlines of our fellow citizens makes me think that ‘access to food’ is not a crushing concern in the River City…

    @Stone Dreamer – “Rev Adrian Brooks of Memorial Baptist Church and many other political movers and shakers of the 4th Ward have made it clear people of means are not welcome in this area. It is reserved for poor people.”

    Pretty good summary of a truly bizarre attitude from the anti-gentrification crowd. I’m not sure why there is such a vested interest among some to prevent property improvement in the downtown area. It seems like any reasonable community leader would relish the idea of an influx of positive investment. I personally think the anti-gentries need to relax a bit. We aren’t going to turn Kentucky and Adams into the new Brooklyn Heights, where only people making $500,000 + a year need apply. Is replacement or conversion of falling-down Section 8 rentals to decent working class housing such an awful thought?!

    • The only actual homes that qualify for section 8 are the habitat homes. All the others evan the ones in good condition have environmental and code issues that would not allow them to rent to those qualifying for this program. It is a odd part of town with its own agenda.

  4. I am a bit confused about the constant banter about the downtown area not having a grocery store to service the area. Buehler’s IGA store at 200 N. Main Street could not be in a better location to service the downtown area. The actual property address is 24-26 West Franklin Street, however, the business actually faces West Illinois Street. The property is owned by 200 N. Main LLC, 806 Ave. Pico 1236, San Clemete, CA. 92673, which appears to be a P.O. Box number at Costal Postal. The registered agent for the LLC is Joseph Padgett, of 7736 Canford Street # H, Camby, IN. 46113, which appears to be the office building of an upscale apartment complex in Camby. The present, and only “active”, 200 N. Main LLC was created on 7-17-2015. Houchen Foods of 611 Bartley Street, Jasper, IN.47546 owns the IGA Business on the property. The property has a current property tax assessment of $769,300. and they are paying taxes at the top maximum capped rate.

    What ever the perceived requirements are for a grocer to service that market, I can see no reason why the current store could not fulfill those requirements.

  5. It is a bit confusing about the constant banter about the downtown area not having
    a grocery store to service the area. Buehler’s IGA store at 200 N. Main Street
    could not be in a better location to service the downtown area. The actual
    property address is 24-26 West Franklin Street, however, the business actually
    faces West Illinois Street. The property is owned by 200 N. Main LLC, 806 Ave.
    Pico 1236, San Clemete, CA. 92673, which appears to be a P.O. Box number at
    Costal Postal. The registered agent for the LLC is Joseph Padgett, of 7736
    Canford Street # H, Camby, IN. 46113, which appears to be the office building of
    an upscale apartment complex in Camby. The present, and only “active”, 200 N.
    Main LLC was created on 7-17-2015. Houchen Foods of 611 Bartley Street, Jasper,
    IN.47546 owns the IGA Business on the property. The property has a current
    property tax assessment of $769,300. and they are paying taxes at the top
    maximum capped rate.

    What ever the perceived requirements are for a grocer to service that market, I
    can see no reason why the current store could not fulfill those requirements.

  6. Seems to me that Evansville has much larger issues to fret about. Supposedly we have an obesity problem, maybe stay away from grocery. At least walk and get some excercise. Sorry I’m not being serious here. I’m just not really concerned with grocery stores when there are so many serious issues!

Comments are closed.