Minneapolis City Council Member Robert Lilligren confirmed to the Heavy Table this morning “there is a proposed mixed-use development at 2309 Lyndale Avenue. The first floor anchor tenant would be Trader Joe’s.” That location is two blocks from the Wedge Co-op and a few blocks from Kowalski’s. There’s a 2000-foot spacing requirement for off-sale liquor licenses due to a state statutory regulation but Trader Joe’s may get an exception. (PDF)
Proposed Trader Joe’s Near the Wedge Co-op
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Awesome. The new one in St. Paul is easier to get to for me, but I’m pleased to see TJ’s opening up in the city. That’s where they belong, not the suburbs.
In an email from Lilligren, he adds for clarification:
Are you serious?! The Wedge is our community, Trader Joe’s is a Whole Foods/Sam’s Club chain. Why not put a giant Walmart in there instead, it would serve the same purpose. Mr. Lilligren will be getting phone calls and letters on this.
I don’t think the wedge has much to be worried about. Trader Joe’s is great for frozen stuff and a few pre-packaged items. Their produce, dairy, and meat all suck. The Wedge has a bulk section and kick-ass deli, too, and their cashiers aren’t feigning interest in your life or shopping choices. And actually, the wedge is one of the cheaper Co-Ops in town.
I doubt the Wedge will suffer much from this. The neighborhood will suffer, though, because if the traffic around the one on Excelsior is any guide, the result is going to be gridlock in a neighborhood that’s already past capacity on the roads. There’s no viable place to put a parking lot there- unless they tear down some of the neighboring businesses. Plus, it’s the first real crack of corporatism in one of the last neighborhoods left without a major chain- and that’ll be a sad development. Pretty soon, the small neighborhoods will be just like the suburbs- the same chains everywhere, with no real identity left, just scaled down into storefronts instead of acres of big-box. For a preview, look at Excelsior and France- which, no mistake, also has a Trader Joe’s.
FWIW, I doubt calling and complaining will do any good.
Mike H.,
I agree. We could be well on our way to looking exactly like those awful new “condo-hoods”. In a time where neighborhood businesses need more support than ever, bringing in a chain-anything is detrimental to the community ethos. And the parking, oy! We will do our best to voice our opinions, we’re the ones who live here.
I’m still pushing for a Trader Joe’s along Hiawatha, either on 38th or 46th St. That would make me very happy.
Mike H., I think our elected officials would love it if no one called to complain. The thing is, it can and does work. If they don’t hear protest, they don’t know it exists. And now’s the time, people! Contact Senator Linda Berglin and Rep. Karen Clark karen.clark@house.mn, who co-authored the bill to grant the liquor license. Contact Councilmember Lilligren Robert.Lilligren@ci.minneapolis.mn.us to let him know what you think. Do we really want Whittier to look like St. Louis Park (Have you been to there? I shudder!)? Or do we support development that keeps it local whenever possible?
Ed: correction in comment made by request of commenter.
@JMI:
What is so bad about Excelsior & Grand? There are a couple chain outlets, but there are also quite a few local ones. It sounds to me like you think that local has to mean old, charming and in the city, and anything not local is in the burbs and new. There are plenty of “local” businesses in the burbs, and plenty of non-local ones in the city.
Do you have something against density and mixed use development? Newer developments have much lower energy costs to heat and cool than the 100 year old buildings that occupy much of Whittier. And arguably, building density in the central city where there is existing transit infrastructure to support it (buses and bike paths) and more walkable options is much smarter than building it in the burbs of St. Louis Park.
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this.
On the one hand, I love TJs for some things like wine, frozen fruit, those everything crackers and the affordability of all of the aforementioned items. But the traffic does suck around the SLP location because the parking lot is way too small. Plus the Lyndale side of Uptown is the only relatively “unchained” area of Uptown, so it does feel like it is intruding.
I think all of us would like to see more local shops open up but no one can afford it so I guess I can’t object too much to one of the only halfway-decent chain stores wanting to move into the neighborhood.
And The Wedge will be fine.
Annie, I agree; I think the Wedge will be fine. The neighborhood might not fare as well, however. I think Moe’s proposal to put up a TJs on 55 near the LR is brillz.
Justin, I don’t think that opposing TJ’s on Lyndale translates into opposition to density and mixed-use development. I don’t think the discussion easily falls into such neat dichotomies, and if I implied as much, my mistake. But the kind of land-use you describe already exists in Whittier, and is what makes it such a fantastic, walkable neighborhood. Moreoever, that a building is green does not account for its total impact on a given community. I would vehemently oppose a LEED-certified Wal-Mart if one was proposed for Lyndale.
My comment about SLP was directed as much at the chains as the traffic. There may be local options in SLP, but from my admittedly limited experience there, few are actually walking to these establishments. Have you seen the TJs parking lot? Lyndale can’t withstand much more traffic.
And yes, big charm fan, whevever it exists.
Trader Joe’s : $3 bottles of wine
The Wedge : $3 bottles of whine
Trader Joe’s is owned by the same brothers who own Aldi Stores. Perhaps the tagline should be, “Taste Globalization” They are the German equivalent to the Walden (of Walmart) family. Their “low” prices are trickle down from gigantic global buying power. Is this the food system you’re shopping for? Wait a minute, I better put on my flame protection suit.
I don’t have a problem with Trader Joe’s coming in. I agree with Justin above – TJ’s is for frozen food and convenience items, as well as some of their private line stuff, but you don’t go to a TJs for its produce. I doubt that the wedge coop is going to suffer.
Part of TJ’s low prices come not just from global buying power, but from their use of private labels. And while I prefer local stores when possible, I hardly thing TJ’s is in the same league as a Walmart. Things may have changed, but I thought that TJ’s employees get ok pay and even part-time employees are eligible for health insurance.
I have mixed feeling about the potential parking/traffic issues; on the one hand I don’t care if people have trouble with the lot because I think more people should walk to get their groceries, anyway, and traffic is just a part of city life, but I’d hate to see traffic have a negative impact on the rest of the neighborhood’s businesses.
Ironically the Wedge/Whittier demographic is probably far more in line with the original TJ’s target audience than are the shoppers in the local suburban locations.
A store like Trader Joe’s belongs on a street like Hiawatha or Lake. Let’s keep Lyndale local, smaller scale, and walkable.
As someone who works at a co-op in a different city where a TJ’s opened about 3 miles away, I can tell you that indeed the Wedge will be affected and you’re fooling yourselves if you believe otherwise. Our co-op was affected, we saw sales decline and we had to cut labor dollars and change our product mix. Yes, we’ve survived and are doing okay, but don’t kid yourselves. There are only so many food dollars a person has to spend each month.
It’s imperative that cities stand up to the globalization that is happening and that community members support truly local businesses IF they want to maintain their unique flavor and preserve the local economy.
TJ’s is a global player that really isn’t concerned w/ preserving the local community – which is dramatically different from a place like the Wedge which is owned by the local community.
As for the ‘I can’t afford to shop local’ – you can’t afford not to. The more we support local enterprise, the more buying power those places have and they can lower prices. As for our American love of cheap food, I don’t understand it. Cheap food is just that – cheap. Try looking at those private label brands at TJ’s -where are they from? Who is making the food your eating and your children are eating? Where are those frozen fruits grown? How far did they travel to get to your table? And do you really think that cost reflects a living wage for the growers or the resources embedded in that food?
So how does having a Trader Joe’s on Lyndale make it LESS walkable? If there is a demand/need/want for one there, people that live in the area will walk/bus/bike there. If not, they will continue to drive to SLP.
And yeah, comparing TJ to Walmart is ridiculous. Not the same thing at all.
Moe (seward co-op member and TJ shopper)
So is this the ground floor of “Le Parisien” we’re talking about? Or would this be a new building next door?
I already avoid the Wedge simply due to traffic issues. Love the establishment once I get in the door, can’t deal with the horrific traffic on Lyndale. Sticking a Trader Joe’s right down the street will make it even worse.
I wouldn’t mind having a TJs closer in town, though. Why not put it at 46 & Hiawatha, like the previous poster suggests? Or 18th and Central NE? Or on the far east end of Lake Street, to help them recover from all the construction suffering they’ve had? We can’t keep stuffing more and more big boxes into Uptown, it’ll burst at the seams.
The comparison between Trader Joe’s and Walmart stands. It’s owned by a discount grocery chain, who rebranded one of its stores to sell to those who believe they are “above” shopping at Alsi, and repackaged product in a shinier, trendier package. Really, it may as well be owned by Walmart. As for its location in the ground floor of “Le Parisien” (yes, that’s the one), the city couldn’t possibly okay Trader Joe’s for that location based on the volume of sales they expect to do. The neighborhood has some sort of parking-ratio that can’t be exceeded. That’s why the Wedge doesn’t have an eating area, no room to expand the lot.
Aldi, not Alsi.
TJ’s was not founded or designed by Aldi; it was already well established when Aldi purchased the company. The original audience was educated people who liked to travel but didn’t have much money – not the upscale yuppie demographic that it seems to be attracting in the Twin Cities (although that is admittedly a sweeping generalization and perhaps incorrect). I agree that buying locally is the way to go, and will give my money to the Wedge. Still, I don’t think a TJ’s hurts walkability, and it’s not the same thing as a “big box store.”
Having lived in other cities with long-established TJ history, it seems that most people shop at multiple grocery stores; each type of store filled a different niche. I don’t shop at TJ’s in the Twin Cities because I don’t drive to do my shopping, so I don’t have firsthand experience as to how it works here, though.
At first I was quite excited about TJ’s coming into the Twin Cities. Then I realized that it wasn’t really what I was looking for in a grocery store experience. They do carry some interesting products that aren’t necessarily available at other stores in the area, however, I’m not sure that I need some of their options. One of the biggest issues that I currently have with them is the sheer number of recalls that they have on their products. This says (at least to me) that they’re more about making a buck than truly caring about the customer (and our safety). Sure there will be recalls at every store (especially when you have a food supplier that is willing to sell tainted peanut butter), but I’m just not so sure that TJ’s has quality in mind with some of their chosen manufacturers.
1. TJ has fewer recalls per-sku than any other grocery. You think they have more because they make more of an effort to try to tell you.
2. I’ve never gone to the Wedge and *not* had at least two employees (and almost all of the patrons) be rude to me. Oh, and their produce is lower quality than Kowalski’s for three times the price. Hah! Much lower quality than a farm share and about ten times the price. Get over yourselves.
3. Lyndale local? Get real. All the “locals” who were around Lyndale are long gone. You’re a bunch of newly-arrived, soon-to-leave trendoid grad students. Get over it. Lyndale could sure as hell use some stability other than the stable nature of drunks puking and fistfighting outside Mortimer’s by 10am.
And Lisa M? Take your own advice and check the labels (and online info) for TJs. They have very few, if any, “bad” options there. If any. Hell, the Wedge probably has more non-local, HFCS items than TJs. Wedge had more products affected by the peanut recall than TJ. Just goes to show there’s more to healthy food than meets the eye…
It is to laugh.
I live a block from there and parking is already hell in this neighborhood. When I served on a planning commission out in the ‘burbs, a business had to have a plan to accommodate its parking in order to be approved. That doesn’t appear to be required here in the city. In this neighborhood, about the only place to go is up (i.e., ramps) to park more cars.
Brian, I don’t know what Wedge you’re shopping at where the help and other patrons are so rude to you. That has never been my experience there. I’m going to guess that this happens to you other places too …
The proposed location would be where the Lyndale House Antiques and the adjacent brake shop/auto supply stand now. There is not a sales agreement for the car wash–yet. This would be a tear down/new construction development.
Southbound Lyndale is bad enough with people trying to turn left into the Wedge lot. Imagine half a block later MORE traffic trying to turn left into the probably 10 spaces that Trader Joe’s will be able to cram into their site. Shudder! They should go downtown to the Jag dealership site–lots of density with the Towers condos and 314 Hennepin right there, plus all the people living in the North Loop. Not to mention the countless bus routes that would pass by.
I am absolutely 100% against a chain opening in this area of town. My recommendation is to open it at the postponed Lund’s building that is still boarded up downtown. There is a tremendous need for a grocer down there, the building is already built and yes, traffic is terrible on Lyndale and does not need added too.
I thought it was odd that the antique store sold so fast.
Why is free and available parking – whether in parking lots by stores or on the street – seen as a right? The idea of plentiful and (nearly) always available free and convenient parking just makes cities more auto-dependent, therefore increasing traffic problems even more.
The Lyndale site is in a high density area, and presumably many of their customers would live close enough to walk. Whether they will or not is another story, but a crowded parking lot would certainly be an incentive.
As a resident and local business owner, I think that many of these positive responses are both shortsighted and narrow minded. People that support the influx of global buying and disbursement as opposed to locally grown and co-operatively provided goods are quite obviously not thinking about the area, or the people that would benefit, but rather themselves. For those of us that actually live, work, socialize, live off of and support the culture of this area, introducing a chain like that would be detrimental and negligent. Biking on Lyndale is already extremely dangerous (and for many of us it’s our only mode of transport, so it’s sort of a big deal), and the construction for a shop like that, assuming they don’t need to destroy other businesses, will still cause innumerable losses to surrounding businesses due to the construction crews and road closings on an already overcrowded street.
I mean, I realize that people want cheap food and all, and closer to them than St. Louis Park or St. Paul, but seriously, those of us that live here can’t take the burden of all of you coming in, abusing our resources, and going back to your own neighborhoods. Find a local co-op for organic, or shop at aldi for low prices, if those are the things that you’re worried about, but seriously, don’t plant your weeds in our garden.
Not everything in the Wedge is locally produced. Also, the “us” versus “them” argument doesn’t really work, at least as far as “us” means neighborhood residents and “them” is everyone else; both the Wedge and Trader Joe’s will attract a large contingent of neighborhood shoppers, just as both will (or will continue to, in the Wedge’s case) attract shoppers from outside of the immediate neighborhood.
I think there are some valid arguments against a TJ’s, but a chain store doesn’t automatically mean the death of a neighborhood.
Why on earth would we have a Trader Joe’s right near the Wedge? Trader Joe’s could go any number of places downtown where there is NO grocery presence.
As someone who moved from Harriet Ave due to traffic noise from Hennepin when the current Wedge expanded, I pity the people left there if this goes through.
I don’t want Trader Joe’s in my neighborhood. First off the parking here is already horrible enough. People who live here can’t even find a place to park half the time. Second, for those of us who commute by bicycles this is going to create an even worse enviornment on the street for us.
I’m also not ok with allowing them the right to sell alcohol. We already have three Liquor stores within five or six blocks of 23rd and Lyndale and if the other five grocery stores can’t do they shouldn’t be able to do it either. Just because they are a big chain doesn’t mean they should get some exception. Rainbow, Lunds and Kowalskis are big chains and they’ve been asking for this for decades and haven’t gotten any exceptions. So why is there a sudden consideration for it?
I don’t want to have another business come here and create traffic nightmares, parking issues and get exceptions to rules that businesses that have been established here for decades have to follow. Put it in Edina since that’s where most of the people who will shop there will be coming from.
Let’s not forget about the severe lack of parking and the inability to build park-ramps since the ground is too soft and bog-like. Were Trader Joe’s to go into 2309 Lyndale South, what would they raze to make the parking lot? The Coin Wash? The Antique Store?? My old apartment building???
Come to the Whittier Alliance community meeting, Monday April 13 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. to voice your concern or support for the Trader Joe’s proposal. TJs will be making a presentation to the group! Meetings are open to the public.
The Whittier Alliance meeting is held at the Whittier International School on 26th and Grand Ave.
What about the idea of 90+ new jobs in the Whittier community? Is that bad too?
Wow, lots of NIMBYs here. Why not let the market decide? If parking will truly be a mess, then fewer people with cars will shop there because it will suck for them (that’s why I’ve only been to the SLP TJ’s once in my life, and probably won’t go back, and why I rarely go to the Wedge). That would leave lots of walkers, bikers, etc. to sustain the place. If they can do it, then TJ’s wins. If not, then it turns into a pizzeria or bar or whatever after TJ’s shuts down.
I agree with the Wedge’s position that if TJ’s gets an off-sale liquor variance, the Wedge should get one, too — the Wedge asked first for a variance and was turned down. And if the city doesn’t give TJ’s a variance, then we’re still on a level playing field. But the Wedge doesn’t need government interference in the form of blocking a competitor — if it can’t compete in a fair fight, then it should go.
To clarify some things…There definitely are small local businesses being impacted. I know, as we are one. Sacred Rearrangements, shop and healing center is at 2207 Lyndale, and we are housed in one of the buildings proposed to be eliminated-just South of the car wash. The proposal will knock down the house where Lyndale House Antiques was, the car repair place and our building that includes two separate, independently owned businesses. The car wash will remain. We do not own the building, only the business. Therefore we have no recourse but to relocate-assuming we can find comparable rent and the cash flow for relocation costs-this is actually a big “if”. If you are not familiar with us, we are an eco-friendly and spiritually conscious shop and holistic healing center, that offers very affordable yoga classes and healing services (including acupuncture by donation, for example), and items for the home, body and spirit. We like to think that we are a resource to this community.
This is not just about a Trader Joe’s going in. This is a development issue. This block is being developed either way. The owner of Le Parisien, from what I understand, has always had plans to develop this block and will probably go forward whether it’s with TJ’s or something else. By the way, the project will include more than the TJ’s. Unfortunately, as a result of development, small businesses can’t afford the “new rents”. I’m sure this is nothing new…
If this area is going to be developed, I would love to see developers create a possibility for an independent business to afford the rent. We have been here three years and are a small business that is actually surviving this “economic shift”-I know many of you in this neighborhood support us and other local businesses. Local businesses make a huge impact on the local economy. If you speak up about this development, I ask that you include in your message the need for reasonably priced commercial rent so that businesses like ours can remain in this wonderful neighborhood.
Aside from horrible parking and traffic problems this would cause, there is room for both grocery stores. When I lived in Minneapolis, I went to the Wedge AND Trader Joe’s. What a sec, I went to Trader Joe’s AND the Seward co-op. Better produce, friendlier people. Easier parking!
My family has worked in every area of the food business in another state, and we watched Whole Foods kill the Berkeley Coop (and I met one of the guys who planned how to do it, yes it was deliberate) and Safeway kill another independent specialty grocery with a combination of imitation and labor tactics. It’s a cut-throat business, and with all the locations to pick from, putting a TJ on Lyndale is specifically designed to siphon off the Wedge’s customer base. Being the ONLY grocery store in the area with a liquor store in the same parking lot? Of course that’s going to hurt the Wedge! Anyone who thinks otherwise is naive. What does the WEdge do that’s different and better than TJ’s and why should we care? The WEdge is customer owned. It supports local growers and businesses as a principle. It is a leader in organic certification and education. It donates a percentage of its profits to non-profit groups, based on the votes of members. TJ? profits go out of state, not reinvested in the community. That the city council voted to allow a variance for this one store as opposed to all the others that have made requests previously stinks, and makes me want to know whose palms were greased. This is dirty.
I’m all about Trader Joe joining the crowd of stores in this neighborhood especially if it decreases traffic going in and out of “The Wedge”.
The traffic in and around “The Wedge” is horrific. It is horrific because it always seems that the most inconsiderate people hold up traffic on Lyndale right in front of “The Wedge” due to them trying to turn across a double yellow line from south bound Lyndale to enter the parking lot. They also exit right onto Lyndale Avenue. This alone has made “The Wedge” the bane of my existence since moving to the twin cities almost 3 years ago. There is not the space or “laneage” there to accomodate that. All traffic should be routed through the back of the parking lot onto the alley which I notice they have cleverly chained off such that people are forced to come in and out through the front Lyndale entrance.
If and only if parking lot entrances were removed from the front of The Wedge and moved to the alley way behind the market would I ever think about frequenting it.
Just yesterday I think “The Wedge” and “Whole Foods” on Excelsior were the only groceries open, I went clean across town to give my business to Whole Foods instead of “The Wedge” because I can’t support it.
As far as Trader Joe vs. Wal-Mart…Wal-Mart is THE EVIL empire and Joe’s should never be compared to it.
It’s a given that “Trader Joe’s is great for frozen stuff and a few pre-packaged items” and that “Their produce, dairy, and meat all suck,” but it’s trendy (at this moment) and trendy is what sells. Perhaps the die-hard Wedge patrons will sustain it.
Conversely, Lyndale traffic is going to become worse than Hennepin.
Putting it so close to two other grocery stores is a dumb idea. There are so many other places to locate it, such as downtown or on Hiawatha or somewhere that needs revitalizing.
I am a Wedge member, and I live just around the corner from the Wedge and proposed development. I like to support our local cooperative along with the local farmers and businesses my purchases support. I don’t want our local Wedge run out of town because Trader Joe’s is given an unfair advantage – a special liquor variance no other grocery in Minneapolis has gotten. A number of other grocery stores have applied for this variance in Minneapolis but none have been granted.
I am disgusted that we would even consider a proposal from the same failed (and bankrupt) developer who created the mostly vacant Le Parisien Flats down the street. He wants to build 58 more condo units in an already parking-scarce congested neighborhood while demolishing more local businesses. I live in this neighborhood because of our local businesses. How in the world are all of these suburban shoppers going to park? How in the world are all of the shoppers going to not make the traffic situation worse?
Call your representative! Call your Council Member! We don’t want big box retailers given preference over our local co-op!
I am confused why this location is being used instead of other densely populated areas such as Steven’s Square. Steven’s Square is not currently served by anything even vaguely approaching a grocery store. With the population density, availability of n open lot (18th and Nicollet), it is hard to see why forcing one more food merchant next to the Wedge could be the best for our community.
How about opening up a Trader Joe’s in North Mpls instead… where the old and failed Kowalski’s was on 44th? The Camden neighborhood is in dire need of more decent grocery stores with healthy and organic choices that are easy to get to (I think Aldi is a joke). So many young families are moving into the area, and I think there is much more need for this type of “development” in the Northwest side of the City.
As far as TJ’s going into the Whittier/Wedge neighborhood, I think it’s completely unnecessary and will be detrimental to independently owned and operated businesses. It seems a shame… the direction that the area is going.
I live on the 2200 block of Garfield, and I concur that parking in our neighborhood (or just trying to make a left hand turn from Lyndale) in pure insanity nearly any time during the day. When you do manage to find a spot, chances are pretty good you’ll get yet another swipe mark on your bumpers because there are so many people competing for such little space. That being said, I do feel like the neighborhood is surprisingly quiet and bringing in a large chain store will start killing that serenity AND add yet more competing traffic and parked cars. I love this neighborhood because it is unique and supports local people and local business. This cutthroat idea that plopping a large corporate venture next to a smaller business of the same type (precisely to destroy it) is fair-play in the market and business world is pretty sick. Just because it can be done doesn’t mean it should, I firmly believe Walmart has demonstrated time and time again how devastating this practice is.
Also, if the crux of this plan stems from one person’s failure (and alleged bankruptcy) to provide upscale “condos” at the end of the block, I think it’s time to let this person learn a true lesson of capitalism instead of subsidizing yet another attempt for him/her to make a buck at the expense of so many.
Currently there are two existing Trader Joe’s in Minnesota. One in Maple Grove, and one in St Louis Park. The last thing I am interested in is Uptown turning into something comparable to either of these “towns”. Change is inevitable- but we can fight change in the direction of homogeneity for as long as possible.
Also- the TJ’s in SLP is 3.5 miles (9 minutes) by car from Lake/Lyndale. As there has been a large amount of discussion re: parking- it seems a safe assumption that the majority of people would be driving to Trader Joe’s. How is 3.5 miles too far?
Dental, vision, and heath care for any employees working at least 18 hours a week. Paid time off and a retirement program for all employees as well as performance based pay increase every 6 months. Sounds like Wal-Mart to me.
PLEASE, NO! This community does not need a store like Trader Joe’s. We gotta stick to our independent businesses and not cave in. I will not shop at Trader Joe’s if it DOES show up.
You guys are fighting a lost cause and seeking a Pyrrhic victory. Uptown is certainly not what it used to be and the closing of an expensive coop isn’t going to change that. You didn’t give a shit when Starbucks came. You didn’t give a shit when the Gap came. You didn’t give a shit when all the the artists left Uptown because you gentrified the fuck out of it. You complain about parking BECAUSE you own a car. You are everything you claim to hate, and you deserve all the terrible shit that happens to you.
I believe the effect of “decreasing walkability” that everyone keeps referring to is due to the fact that there will be more traffic, more people not paying attention to how they’re driving, more idiots talking on their phone while pulling out of the parking lot instead of noticing the pedestrians that are trying to co-exist. I live 1 block away from the new Seward Coop, and this has been the case here. Many times I have walked or biked by there only to see that a car is not obeying their stop sign, the no left turn sign, or even has so much as noticed my presence. Not to mention, the added amount of cars simply decreases the safety in an environment already too busy.
Trader Joe’s can stay in the suburbs as far as I am concerned. What a slap in the face to our beloved local grocery stores that are thriving in Uptown. The Wedge will be affected, simply because some of the packaged items they both sell and TJ’s has their prices much much lower. Let’s give up the Walmart comparison, and go with Whole Foods instead. You know, the corporation that purchased it’s main competitor only to put them out of business and monopolize the market.
Go away Trader Joe’s. Stay in the suburbs where you belong.
P.S. Kudos to Your wiser neighbor.
We don’t need the traffic, liquor or the food. The neighborhood has all that is required and more. I don’t believe the developer has the neighborhoods best interests in mind. He just wants to build and make money. Making money is not a bad thing, except when you’re not considering the cost to a neighborhood.
“I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords”
are you proposing new locations in south florida?
I ;ive in thriving boynton beach.