Today in the Gump
So, if you didn't know already, we're getting another wal-mart in Montgomery. It's going to be in the best area of town - no traffic congestion, not a lot of small businesses, and away from crime, low-income housing, and low property values - it's PERFECT!Wait a minute, I misread. It IS close to traffic congestion, small businesses, crime, low-income housing and low property values....phew, that was a close one. So yeah, boooooooo wal-mart.
As if that wasn't enough, Wal-Mart is planning 483 other Wal-Mart openings/upgrades this year. Some folks managed to find a "secret-memo" about this, there's an article at http://www.walmartwatch.com. That's like 10 a state. If you haven't seen the episode of southpark where they get a "wall-mart" now's the time. Stop reading, go find it.
Montgomery is in a peculiar position on this one...one the one hand, Douglas Morris in his book "It's a Sprawl World After All: The Human Cost of Unplanned Growth -- and Visions of a Better Future" says that Montgomery is one of the cities doing the MOST to combat urban sprawls. Yay for us! Yay for WALKING! Yay for sidewalks that go places with things to see and stuff! It's like a real city! Yay for small businesses all over the place selling african dolls, $1500 paintings and adult novelties all on the same block! I just can't wait until this dirty urban sprawl goes away so I can walk from the pizza shop down to the bar for a shot (in the middle of the day) leave there to pick up my dry-cleaning, a new pair of shoes, and a tattoo ALL WITHOUT LEAVING MY BLOCK!
But no. We're getting another wal-mart. So much for my lunch-n-ink tattoo/sandwhich shop idea.
Pay a little more for your stuff, people, unless you absolutely can't help it. Wal-mart belongs nowhere. The fact that other businesses charge more is not greed, it's just business - Wal-Mart isn't cheaper because nicer people run it, it's cheaper because it's the most enormous buyer of goods most companies do business with, and therefore gets a lot of deals.
When this new one opens on Ann St., it's going to be as though they decided to put the new world trade center in the middle of Alaska: it's neat at first, but it will quickly cause brain damage when you try to make sense of it.
posted by Unknown @ 10:44 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Holy crap thats a freaky picture!
Yeah but it gets the point across ;)
Another thing that concerns me is empty building space and lowering lot values (lower business quality).
For example, the Ann St. Wal-Mart will compete partially with Publix on Zelda Rd. and with two Winn-Dixie stores (one at Ann St./ Atlanta Hwy intersection and one near Mulberry Rd. & the Montgomery Country Club.
I can say, with confidence, that these 2 stores will be forced to shutdown.
What about the lots at these locations?
ESPECIALLY the location in Cloverdale. Supposedly the city is finalizing its Riverwalk Renovation and now spreading growth into Zelda and Cloverdale, but I think little consideration is being put into spots of Cloverdale that are sub-standard.
It's these reasons why even if I MUST go to a major departmetn-type store, I will go to Target. There merchandise at least has a modern appeal to it, right?
And the crazy thing is, Winn-Dixie and Publix aren't exactly mom n' pop stores....they're huge in their own right.
It is going to be sad to see that Winn-Dixie in Cloverdale close...its bad for the smaller businesses in the shopping center, too...that's why it's called an "anchor store" you know?
I'd really like to see some creative businesses open in those big empty buildings (since tearing them down is a mortal sin as far as the city is concerned...they'd rather them sit empty for years than tear them down - take for instance the winn-dixie at Atl. Hwy and the Bypass, or the old wal-mart building down the bypass, or the old wal-mart across from Frazer that just recently became a Hobby-Lobby a few years ago).
Someone should open a skatepark inside one of those, or my own personal fantasy is to see one partitioned off into studio space to be rented out to artists. It would be amazing.
Seeing as how the new Wal-Mart is going to be right down the street from my parents' house, I was never wild about the idea in the first place, since I already have to combat enough traffic coming down Ann Street. But my mother is delighted about it- "there's gonna be a new Wal-Mart, and it will be right down the street!" I can only shake my head in dismay.
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