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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Walmart going into Whole Foods on Greenville Ave makes one grocery too many
Going in across the street from the new Trader Joe's.
DALLAS — The fate of the old Whole Foods space on Greenville Avenue has been revealed: According to Unfair Park it will become home to a Walmart, a possibility that's been rumored nearly ever since the store closed in 2009.
The disposition of that space has been one of the more frequently asked questions at Pegasus News, but property owner Mitch Rasansky was cagey about the new tenant. People fantasized about having a Trader Joe's take over the space, viewing it as the perfect, eccentric, slightly hippie-ish replacement that would not only sell food but also fit into the Lower Greenville mindset.
But then Trader Joe's signed up for the space across the street that was formerly the Arcadia Theater.
Given the relatively small footprint of the old Whole Foods, this WalMart will likely be a Neighborhood Market, exactly like the one 2.5 miles away on 75 at Hall Street. Which brings us to the question of why we need a Walmart, of all things, in that space. There are at least a dozen markets nearby -- from the Sunflower Market on Henderson, and Fiesta Mart on Ross, to the transplanted Whole Foods in Lakewood, to the Kroger at Greenville & Mockingbird, to the Target at 75 & Haskell, to the Albertsons at Lemmon & McKinney. It's just such an obnoxious thing for Walmart to do, especially when it could truly serve a community by moving closer to downtown or even in downtown.
Of course, Whole Foods isn't anywhere near what it used to be, and Lower Greenville has changed, too. Whole Foods just buckled to Monsanto, dropping its opposition to the commercialization of genetically engineered crops such as Monsanto's bee-killing "Roundup Ready" alfalfa -- prompting Organic Consumers.org to petition Whole Foods to adopt Truth-in-Labeling practices that identify which produce it sells is genetically modified. (President Obama just gave Monsanto permission to plant GE Roundup-resistance alfalfa on millions of acres and recently appointed Michael Taylor, a former VP and lobbyist for Monsanto, to be senior advisor to the commissioner at the FDA -- an appointment that's prompted a petition that 188,425 people have signed in protest.)
But there was something special about the relationship that the original Whole Foods had with the neighborhood -- something that Walmart seems unlikely to duplicate.
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Pop icon Peter Max exhibits paintings at the Crescent Hotel this summer
"humbleness"??????
Um, Mr. Means (reporter), your fourth-grade English teacher is going to smack yo
runDMC, anonymous:
Pretty typical predatory behavior by BalFart. Wait until a legit store declares, then move in next door, sell below cost and slowly strangle them. Hohum, another million dollars shipped from Texas to Arkansas. And so it goes. As the line from Body Heat goes, "she was relentless".
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ellis, anonymous:
runDMC, your comments ring true but part of the blame lies with its patrons. A purchase at Walmart also supports shareholders and Chinese workers who make the merchandise. Hopefully, people will continue to support local merchants and jobs. Time will tell.
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lakewoodhobo, anonymous:
"...especially when it could truly serve a community by moving closer to downtown or even in downtown."
Very frustrating to see a grocery store open in a saturated market when downtown is so underserved.
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Clay213, anonymous:
This article is a mess of chip on your shoulder angst, Teresa.
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:
Clay213, agreed. I wrote it so late last night that i was unable to get any quotes. so i dispensed with the usual reporting of just the facts and instead went flat-out opinionated. it's a little more bloggy than i prefer, but i wanted to get something posted by 6 a.m.
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Rocat7676, anonymous:
Just level the building and put a park there. No need for a Walmart. Ugh!!!
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bullydot, anonymous:
Crazy article. But spot on. Righteous indignation. Here's my take away: After the usual suspects, add Trader Joe's and Wal-Mart and Lower Greenville will be traffic nightmare. Avoid at all cost.
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Travis Bush, verified:
This wasn't predatory behavior from Walmart..it was all the meddling of pork pie, his cronies and the City Council gutting Lower Greenville. One is quite sure that the property owner would have preferred a bowling alley there, but the NIMBY tards put a stop to that as well..all the neighborhood associations have reaped what they have sewn..enjoy!
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Clay213, anonymous:
Huh? The bowling alley was never going in that location. That was going in the old Lucky's Roadhouse.
Also, bowling alleys are an anachronism and are not a viable business model
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mremanne, anonymous:
Clay213, don't tell that to the W. 7th Street developers on the west ride of Fort Worth. There's a fancy new bowling alley drinking establishment in one of their new buildings(I think "Lucky" is part of the name, but I'm not sure), so I suppose they consider it a viable option as a business model. Of course, only time will tell.
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MsterM, anonymous:
Last I checked it was a free country. Has anyone seen the crazy prices of groceries at Whole foods or Tom Thumb. If you don't like it just take your business somewhere else. I'm a single father of 2 in the M streets and would love affordable groceries. Sorry, but 99c for a dozen of caged eggs sounds great.
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mezzetin_subaquatic, anonymous:
yeah, dumpster diving is great!!
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What do you think?