Black neighborhood rejects Trader Joe's

eracism

eracism

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When all I had was a $20 to buy groceries with, TJ's held me down. They even accept EBT now.
The Trader Joe’s grocery chain has withdrawn plans to build a store in the heart of a predominantly black neighborhood after a black leadership group fought the move.

The Portland Development Commission was set to give the grocer a large discount on property that had been vacant for years, pricing it at just over $500,000, down from an appraised value of $2.9 million, according to The Oregonian.

The Portland African American Leadership Forum sent a scathing letter  in December to city leaders, saying the plan would price residents out of the area and the group“remains opposed to any development in North/Northeast Portland that does not primarily benefit the black community.”

Trader Joe’s would increase displacement of low-income residents and “increase the desirability of the neighborhood,” for “non-oppressed populations,” PAALF wrote.

“[This decision] reflects the city’s overall track record of implementing policies that serve to uproot, displace and disempower our most vulnerable community members,” the letter said.

Trader Joe’s bowed out amid the controversy.

“We run neighborhood stores, and our approach is simple: If a neighborhood does not want a Trader Joe’s, we understand, and we won’t open the store in question,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to The Oregonian.

But not everyone is happy about the outcome.

“There are no winners today,” Adam Milne, owner of Old Town Brewing Co., told The Oregonian. “Only missed tax revenue, lost jobs, less foot traffic, an empty lot and a boulevard still struggling to support its local small businesses.”

http://www.infowars.com/black-resid...cause-it-would-attract-too-many-white-people/
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This is happening in my town; they want to put a Wawa in but they it's been fought back and forth because of all the local businesses that have been here forever
 
Trader Joe's is kinda expensive now. They're at that tier between Safeway and Whole Foods.

Anyways, good for them, big business doesn't need to be everywhere, especially when it costs more than what ppl in that area can even afford.
 
Trader Joes is such a dope grocery experience. Are there actual alternatives (i.e. other grocery stores) available in the neighborhood?
I definitely support my neighborhood TJs.
 
Trader Joe's is unnecessarily expensive though. One would say you're paying for a better product but I'd need proof to back a claim like that up.

Apparently that gentrification threat is real though.
 
TJ is a great company from what i now about them. They threat their employees very well and their customers even better.

But I understand why the neighborhood wouldn't want one.
 
Trader joes is dopeee they got some bomb *** food idk why anyone wouldn't want it dudes are missing out :smokin
 
Trader Joes is a dope shopping experience, a tight collective of high quality products. I only pick up about 10 items a month such as their Kale salad in a bag, texas style bbq sauce, corn & chilli dip, hand wash and almond dark chocolate bars.

Respect the town for their decisions, we should all try to support our local small businesses as much as possible.
 
Master Zik said:
Trader Joe's is unnecessarily expensive though. One would say you're paying for a better product but I'd need proof to back a claim like that up.

Apparently that gentrification threat is real though.
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but it's not gentrification unless the process has already begun.

i.e. an influx of wealthier individuals than pre-existing residents have already started residing in the area.


a company like trader joes brings more money/jobs/opportunities for that community.


they're shooting themselves in the foot. crabs in a barrel.

worried about being "priced" out of the area, as if people are going to come a runnin' to a low-income neighborhood because there's a trader joe's there.

gentrification is a process, and a trader joe's can be a boon to the area.


you know who it is going to price out? people who can't pay their own way. too bad. stop living off dat government cheese. I'm sure there's residents of the neighborhood who'd like for the area to become upwardly mobile.


who are these "local community leaders" I'd like to hear from them. seems like they have s skewed idea of what gentrification is.

if they were knocking down a project building for luxury condos, that'd be the start of the gentrification process. a new business like trader joe's alone is not the start of the process.

when leadership goes wrong.
 
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I get why the did it but at the same time that lot will continue to sit there and be a sore sight to look at while contributing nothing to anyone
 
Trilluminated said:
 
why did you have to throw in the part about ebt?
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They're saying a TJ's would displace low-income residents. If you're that poor, apply for an EBT card and shop there. That's what the program is for. And in California, TJ's set up shop in many urban areas. They ain't even bout that life lol. I don't see the threat.

*waits for Wal-Mart to swoop in*
 
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ERACISM said:
They're saying a TJ's would displace low-income residents. If you're that poor, apply for an EBT card and shop there. That's what the program is for. And in California, TJ's set up shop in many urban areas. They ain't even bout that life lol. I don't see the threat.
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exactly.

dudes don't even know what gentrification is, some community leadership.
 
Very interesting. 

Without having ever been to Northeast Portland, my first thought centers on the proximity of this "vacant" lot to the more expensive areas of Irvington and Alameda Ridge. The spill-over effect is one of the defining characteristics of gentrification. First one block, then the next; first one neighborhood, then another. To what extent TJ's will facilitate the spillover from one wealthy enclave into this African American neighborhood is indeed a crucial concern.

Lastly, a look at the original development plans for TJ's (http://www.oregonlive.com/front-porch/index.ssf/2013/11/trader_joes_is_mystery_grocer.html) indicates that the proposal called for retail space for 4-10 additional businesses. Thus, the question becomes: what kinds of businesses will follow on the heels of TJ's? Will these businesses be affordable for the present residents? Will these businesses, with perhaps a longer leash on credit and the ability to drive down their respective costs, push smaller mom and pop's out of business? Rather than present the article as a battle between blacks and white's, let's make it a bit more nuanced: this appears to be a battle between African America residents and small-scale merchants  on the one hand, and larger retailers on the other.  

I need not recount the tortuous history of urban renewal, AKA, "negro removal." Indeed, "development" is not some objective process. It has often meant the displacement of people of color, working class peoples, and the destruction of local institutions.  
 
I actually somewhat agree with this. Gentrification is like a gift and a curse and I hate to say it but it really helps only the moderately wealthy. SF is doing this at a rapid rate with areas like Dog Patch and even Castro with them building so many condos. The only people that really can afford them is these god damn tech nerds that made millions off Facebook and what not. No one can afford the over a million dollar condos in these areas. I just saw a Whole Foods open up somewhere and guaranteed rent will go up for the rest.
 
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