Re: [Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis: Lake Street KMart is thriving
I don't understand the basis of your statement and would appreciate clarification. How do you see Target closing a non-viable store as abandoning a neighborhood due to temporary setbacks? The Target store on West Broadway has been there for some 15 years. Is that a short term commitment? Do you have evidence that the Target store was making money any of those years? I don't believe that information is available to the public, but I would highly doubt that the store was experiencing any temporary setback. Can't imagine it was an above performing store in any year of it's existence. This all comes to the question then I suppose about social responsibility and to what extent can a business profit, and profit it must to remain competitive and in business, from delivering social good as a part of its value. -- Steve Kotvis From: Andy Driscoll [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Fri, 30 May 2003 01:16:59 -0500 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis: Lake Street K Mart is thriving The more stores Target and other retail chains build, the more local their clientele and customer bases become, and in a depressed economy, local stores patronized by higher than average unemployed and underemployed neighbors, the less viable that store can remain. What's not being said here is that the high percentages of communities of color hat comprise that area's retail shoppers are once again finding their neighborhoods abandoned by the chains ever so willing to suffer temporary setbacks in other communities. Retail racism we called it during my ten years in Detroit. Minneapolis and St. Paul have long histories of similar corporate behavior in serving the retail needs of minority neighborhoods and are often taken over by hustling entrepreneurs who jack up prices for second-rate goods and services knowing they're serving a captive customer base. Long, sad stories, repeated everywhere diverse populations have existed here for 250 years. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right. --Mahatma Gandhi From: Dave Piehl [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thu, 29 May 2003 08:20:01 -0700 (PDT) To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis: Lake Street K Mart is thriving It's interesting that despite great freeway access, the Target store in north Minneapolis isn't generating enough traffic to remain viable. Meanwhile, K Mart on Lake Street, which has suffered poor freeway access since it was built, has survived several rounds of K Mart downsizing. As a company, Target is far mor successful than K Mart, so apparently great freeway access isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's time to save $200 million taxpayer dollars and Ax the Excess! David Piehl Central __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis: Lake Street KMart is thriving
I have shopped at the Broadway Target since it opened. In fact, it used to be the only Target I went to. However, in the last five years or so, it has declined drastically. The stock is not complete. It is the only Target I have seen with empty shelf space on a regular basis. At times, they didn't have any carts there, and don't say the neighbors ripped them all off. When we did find a cart and tried to get them to pick it up they didn't. That has gotten better since the city stepped in on that score. The point is, a store makes a profit by selling merchandise. If it doesn't have any or the right merchandise to sell, they won't make a profit. The Broadway store has to be one of the smallest Targets they have in the system and it's still poorly stocked. If they expanded and improved the store, they would make a profit. Bring it up to the same grade as their other stores. Broadway is due for a major restructure in the next couple years. They would be able to draw from burbanites on their way home if they offered an attractive store. They certainly have the room to expand. Don't blame the failure of a poorly run retail outlet on the neighborhood. No neighborhood is going to support a facility that doesn't and won't fill it's needs. Everyone I talk to has said the same thing. We go there for the basics we know we can get when we are in a hurry. But if we want to 'shop' or get any of their 'good stuff' (what they advertise in their flyers), we go to a Target in the suburbs or to the Quarry. I just hope Target gets the message and changes their minds and their approach to the problem. Anne McCandless Jordan TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis: Lake Street K Mart is thriving
It's interesting that despite great freeway access, the Target store in north Minneapolis isn't generating enough traffic to remain viable. Meanwhile, K Mart on Lake Street, which has suffered poor freeway access since it was built, has survived several rounds of K Mart downsizing. As a company, Target is far mor successful than K Mart, so apparently great freeway access isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's time to save $200 million taxpayer dollars and Ax the Excess! David Piehl Central __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis: Lake Street K Mart is thriving
The K-Mart on Lake has been tauted as one of the 10 most profitable K-Marts in Minnesota. Barb Lickness Whittier = Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis: Lake Street KMart is thriving
The more stores Target and other retail chains build, the more local their clientele and customer bases become, and in a depressed economy, local stores patronized by higher than average unemployed and underemployed neighbors, the less viable that store can remain. What's not being said here is that the high percentages of communities of color hat comprise that area's retail shoppers are once again finding their neighborhoods abandoned by the chains ever so willing to suffer temporary setbacks in other communities. Retail racism we called it during my ten years in Detroit. Minneapolis and St. Paul have long histories of similar corporate behavior in serving the retail needs of minority neighborhoods and are often taken over by hustling entrepreneurs who jack up prices for second-rate goods and services knowing they're serving a captive customer base. Long, sad stories, repeated everywhere diverse populations have existed here for 250 years. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right. --Mahatma Gandhi From: Dave Piehl [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thu, 29 May 2003 08:20:01 -0700 (PDT) To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis: Lake Street K Mart is thriving It's interesting that despite great freeway access, the Target store in north Minneapolis isn't generating enough traffic to remain viable. Meanwhile, K Mart on Lake Street, which has suffered poor freeway access since it was built, has survived several rounds of K Mart downsizing. As a company, Target is far mor successful than K Mart, so apparently great freeway access isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's time to save $200 million taxpayer dollars and Ax the Excess! David Piehl Central __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis
I have spent my entire life growing up in North Minneapolis. I grew up in the projects. The Target store on West Broadway has been around for as long as I can remember. Some community leaders want to turn the soon to be old Target store into a community center. I feel that is the last thing that we need on the north side right now. With programs getting cut faster than a freshmen trying out for the varsity football how would such a place find funding. Target currently employs over 100 people. What ever replaces Target should be some type of business that makes money, not something that puts more of a strain on our ready depleted resources. Does anyone have any ideas as to what type of business could replace Target once they close their doors? Please let me know. I would like to see something that helps the community economically take the place of Target. _ The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis
For retail stores to remain open, they need enough customers. Target closing is a blow to North Minneapolis, and I hate to see this happen, but a store has to make a profit to stay in business. Many retail stores have a hard time making a profit in low income neighborhoods. There are often not enough residents with enough spending money to do the job. We can not support policies and programs that perpetuate concentrations of poverty, and then also complain that there are not enough retail stores in the neighborhood. You can't have it both ways. I do not promote the displacement of current low income residents. In low income neighborhoods, if public tax dollars are spent for the addition of new housing, then that housing should be made to try to intice middle income working people. This is the inner city, and I believe that high density middle income development can work. This would help to reduce urban sprawl and would help to revitalize troubled low income neighborhoods. Dyna Sluyter has railed against yuppies moving into her neighborhood, and yes, some of them are irritatingly smug and arrogant, but they would have a some disposable income to help keep local retail stores open. And, as far as I know, the great majority of yuppies hold down full time jobs and very few are into thug street assaults and gang shootouts. Maybe it would be good for the neighborhood to move from low income status towards something a little closer to average income. An average income neighborhood still has half the population living with below-average income. Besides yuppies, Dyna has also railed against the Upper River Redevelopment plan, but then she also rails against all the problems in her low income neighborhood. Maybe the Upper River plan would actually make life more livable in the neighborhood. Dave Stack Harrison From: Bill Dooley Subject: Another Blow to North Minneapolis The West Broadway Target store to close. Target says it is too small. ... TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis
The Target on West Broadway closing hits home for me. My first job (at age 15) was at the Target on West Broadway. My Mother still works at that Target and has worked there for 13 years. There is real anxiety amongst the long term staff, such as my Mother, who are middle aged or older and without college degrees who have worked at that store for 10, 15, or 20+ years concering where they may/might find jobs next. After working at Target for over a decade, my Mother finally earns a livable wage (about 15 dollars an hour). Target has said they will try and reassign the current staff to other stores. But if, for example, my Mother is unable to be reassigned, she can look forward to looking for a new job as a relatively unskilled laborer making seven or eight dollars an hour and effectively losing ten years worth of effort and committment. I really can't imagine what life will be like for my Mother's co-workers who are also long term employees and still have children/teenagers living at home. In terms of convience and a whole other host of issues, the closing of that particular Target store will be a blow for the near Northside and its residents. -Brandon Lacy -Powderhorn Park _ The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis
I agree that loosing the Target would be sad for the area, but it has not been there forever. I recall it was built and opened sometime around 1985, maybe 1986. I'm sure locals could be more specific and even correct me if I'm wrong. As a consultant to the city back in those days on economic development, helping to figure out what West Broadway could support, I recall trying to encourage local business development. The Wendy's and McDonalds and Taco Bells of this world might help feed the passer-bys, but what the area needs is local commitment and focus on what it can be, and helping encourage that kind of growth. And with that and hard work will come capital investment to support it. Can't help but look at the astounding growth and development of the Northeast Mpls these days as a great example. -- Steve Kotvis Kenwood From: Booker Hodges [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 22:32:53 -0500 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Target Closing in North Minneapolis I have spent my entire life growing up in North Minneapolis. I grew up in the projects. The Target store on West Broadway has been around for as long as I can remember. Some community leaders want to turn the soon to be old Target store into a community center. I feel that is the last thing that we need on the north side right now. With programs getting cut faster than a freshmen trying out for the varsity football how would such a place find funding. Target currently employs over 100 people. What ever replaces Target should be some type of business that makes money, not something that puts more of a strain on our ready depleted resources. Does anyone have any ideas as to what type of business could replace Target once they close their doors? Please let me know. I would like to see something that helps the community economically take the place of Target. _ The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
