Prospect of Securing Callaway Site Grocery Store Not Looking Great
Decatur Metro | July 23, 2015 | 6:02 pm
Following up on our post from earlier today…
You may recall that the city has long-stated its desire to secure a grocery store for the Callaway mixed use development. Hoorah!
You may also recall that the Georgia Legislature recently cleared the way by changing the liquor law to give local governments the ability to allow retail alcohol sales closer to schools. Phew!
But the city’s Asst. City Manager Lyn Menne is now telling us that while the city is still trying to get some kind of market in that space, she’s “not sure a grocery store is going to happen.”.
Guess we’re still not attractive enough to all the grocery store bean counters. Looks like we’re gonna have the start that food co-op after all!
Sevananda – Decatur!
We already have a downtown grocery. Are we unable to travel three blocks to the mini Kroger? You think there’s a viable market for high priced organic food in downtown? Not nearly enough traffic…(which is a good thing, by the way.)
If you’re referring to the co-op idea, it’s about a lot more than just having a place to buy food downtown. Though creating an accessible and enjoyable shopping option is a key component. Also the whole point would be that it would be good food at a reasonable price since the co-op’s shareholders are the people who buy their food there so profits at the end of the day are just returned to the members. That’s the most common set up.
Ok. I guess my point was that grocery stores (and all similar mass merchants, even co-ops i presume) need a high level of constant traffic to sustain their businesses. Decatur doesn’t have that much traffic.
If we did, I can’t say I’d be excited about the tradeoffs we’d have to make regarding congestion, traffic flow, delivery trucks, parking, etc.
Candler Park Market was looking at a location in Oakhurst awhile back but the deal fizzled at the last minute. This (Callaway Site) could be perfect for them? It’s not a full-on grocer but they have a fantastic selection of stuff Decaturies want: wine, beer, deli sandwiches, grocery essentials, frozen gourmet, among other things. And did I mention Deli Babes? Bring it here please.
Or a Savi Provisions would be great.
I know I may be the lone poopiehead on this, but how is it a “phew” to allow alcohol sales closer to schools? The Imperial College of London found alcohol to be “the most harmful drug to society and the fourth most harmful drug to users.” It is more harmful than heroin, meth, or cocaine for a developing fetus. It is responsible “for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults aged 20–64 years” in the US. “Nearly 88,0009 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women10) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making it the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.” (CDC).
There’s little to be done to stop Decaturites from violating open container laws, getting stumbling drunk in public, driving drunk, or otherwise setting an example to kids that it is okay to be a user, but maybe we shouldn’t be so proud of it.
I think the issues is, outside of all the stats you raise, that no one has shown a relationship between teen alcohol abuse and school/store proximity. So, if there isn’t one, it’s really just a negative impact on local economic development or consumer convenience with no concurrent positive impact on the problem. Many feel that’s too high a price to pay to give some segment of the community the opportunity to pat themselves on the back for doing basically nothing about the thing they’re concerned about.
Of course, if the data does exist showing increased abuse when alcohol sales occur within 500 feet of a school, then I might feel differently. I just haven’t seen anything to that effect.
If I remember correctly, one of the riskiest places for teen drinking is at home. At home or in friends’ homes is where a lot of teen binge drinking occurs.
In this case, the “phew!” wasn’t a point of pride regarding alcohol consumption, it was a “phew!” for the law, which many believe is ineffective and unnecessary, that would have prevented a grocery store at a great potential location in the city.
You know there was a major temperance movement way back in the early 1900s and it actually succeeded in outlawing booze. They called it “Prohibition.” None of the predictions about the benefits of outlawing alcohol came true, so we went back to allowing the sale and consumption of alcohol. True story!
Also a true story — on average, we’d live a lot long if we just stopped seeking thrills, getting buzzed, and, generally having fun.
May we live a long and joyless existence!
🙂
+1
Has anyone gotten in touch with Trader Joe’s? This seems perfect for them!