Tuesday, December 8, 2009
News Historic Westside Village Publix to close, community on edge
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 9:42 PM
If you live in Virginia-Highland or Midtown, it's easy to take your grocery store for granted.
You've got Trader Joe's on Monroe Drive. Whole Foods is across the street from City Hall East. Don't want to go to the Publix on Ponce de Leon Avenue? You can visit the grocer's other location at North Avenue and Piedmont Drive.
But if you live in historically under-invested west and southwest Atlanta, a place to buy fresh fruit, milk, bread, or even toilet paper can be a luxury. One that Vine City, Washington Park and other west Atlanta neighborhoods residents — many of whom are seniors or lack reliable transportation to buy the daily necessities — fear they're about to lose.
After seven and half years, the Publix on Martin Luther King Drive is scheduled to shut down. When exactly? Christmas Eve at 7 p.m.
"This is gonna change people's lives," said Councilman Ivory Young, who represents many of the neighborhoods who could potentially be impacted by the store's closure. "You've got families and businesses who've moved in that area based on that grocery store."
The store is located in the Historic Westside Village, a revitalization project by developer Russell New Urban Developement LLC that sits between James P. Brawley Boulevard and Joseph Lowery Boulevard.
The project promised a grocery store alongside retail and residential units for the historically overlooked and underinvested community where the majority of residents live below the poverty line.
According to the Atlanta Development Authority's 2009 third quarter disclosure report (PDF), at least $2.1 million in public dollar incentives from the Westside Tax Allocation District have been allocated to the project. That district has funded projects ranging from the World of Coca-Cola near Centennial Olympic Park to the Gateway Center, a homeless support facility on Northside Drive.
A Publix spokeswoman contacted by CL says the company's decision to close the West Side Village location comes down to economics and broken promises.
"The sales have failed to meet projections and goals," she says. "And the development that was originally promised in the original lease has not come to fruition."
Part of Publix's decision to open a store in the area, the spokeswoman said, was based on a lease agreement with the Atlanta Development Authority, which first owned the property. In 2005, the property was sold to national builder Trammell Crow and well-known Atlanta builder H. J. Russell and Company. It's now owned by Russell New Urban Development LLC, the development arm of H.J. Russell. The firm planned to build "significant retail and residential units" in the surrounding area. But residents and Publix say that mixed-use development has stalled.
In the seven and a half years Publix has operated in West Side Village, the company spokeswoman said, it's had discussions with the developer about the progress but to no avail. CL's attempts to reach Russell New Urban were unsuccessful.
"We've served the community and offered a great shopping experience and goals just have not been met," the spokeswoman said. "It is something we have to do as a business. It's a business decision to close the store to be responsible."
Now residents are concerned about what happens next. To the impacted employees, surrounding communities and the grocery store that's been a godsend for a part of town that's historically had to travel long distances for quality food. While convenience stores abound in the nearby neighborhoods, they lack the supply and choice of goods one can find at the Publix location.
"We have no place to go but Publix," said resident Nyasa Waikwa on Tuesday as he walked home from the store. "It's the only real grocery store in the neighborhood. If they close it it will really mess up the neighborhood."
What concerns resident Sims-Alvarado the most is that no other grocery store has announced plans to move into Publix's space — and serve a clientele that includes families, seniors and students at nearby Atlanta University Center. If it closes, Washington Park resident Karcheik Sims-Alvarado said, residents' only other grocery option is the West End Kroger or another Publix location at Atlantic Station.
Sims-Alvarado acknowledges she's fortunate — she has reliable transportation and isn't living on as fixed an income as some of her neighbors. But many residents of the surrounding communities aren't, and have to walk or take public transit to shop for groceries.
"Say a person wants to go to the Kroger on Cascade [Road]," she said. "They'd have to walk to the Ashby MARTA station, go to Five Points, get on another train, get off at West End, and then probably wait for a bus to take them the store."
By then, Sims-Alvarado said, hours will have passed and the gallon of milk they bought will already be warm. She says she'd like to see Publix continue to service the community's food needs for at least another six months until a new tenant can be found.
Post 1 At-Large Councilman-elect Michael Julian Bond, speaking during public comment at yesterday's Council meeting, said that prior to the Historic Westside Village Publix location, the community had been without a grocery store for 30 years. He said — and residents agreed — that it's vital to maintaining interest and investment in a community that's been walloped by the economic downturn.
"Publix being there is a linchpin on redevelopment surrounding that community," Bond said. "Publix needs a new deal. We need to direct the [Atlanta Development Authority] and developer to work day and night for Publix to remain."
He continued: "This is a very serious matter. The City of Atlanta proper has over $100 million in public and private investment in West Side Village. If that grocery store is allowed to leave, it will devastate that community and set it back 30 years."
The Publix spokeswoman said, however, that at this point the company's decision is final. Two weeks ago, employees were notified of the closure. The store will post a sign this week to inform customers that they'll lock the doors for good on Dec. 24.
"We deserve an explanation [about why Publix is closing]," Sims-Alvarado said. "But more importantly, we want a resolution. We want a grocery store."
Last night, the Atlanta City Council approved a resolution (PDF) sponsored by Young that urges Publix to sit down and reconsider its decision. If not, he asks they at least consider keeping their doors open for another year to find a new tenant.
The councilman will hold a town hall meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at Puritan Mills on Joseph Lowery Boulevard to discuss the scheduled Publix shutdown and other community matters. Sources say representatives from Russell New Urban are scheduled to attend.
(Photos by Joeff Davis)
This post has been altered to correct an error. Details about the property's ownership has also been clarified.
Comments (46)
Showing 1-46 of 46
I am disgusted by this development. They have made promise after promise to this community. That's a big part of the reason we bought a home here. We wanted to be able to walk to the library, to walk to the grocery store. We wanted to have as small a footprint as possible to save money and the enviornment. Are there some options? Sure. The man selling fruit on the corner on Lowery and MLK, The people selling veggies curb side in English avenue...but how certain can we be of the quality of those foods? How fresh are they? Who do we turn to is someone comes down with e-coli? After that? Our options are to go to Atlantic Station or the West End and like the article points out, many in this community don't have that option. I'm livid.
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While I'm not defending their decision to close (and I live downtown - I'm all for more grocery stores and more access to them) the article is wrong. Even driving, the Publix at Piedmont and North Ave. is only 3 miles away, so it's DEFINITELY within a five-mile radius. I'm not saying it's easy to get to or very marta-accessible or anything, just that you should get your facts right. Saying this store is "the only grocery store in a five-mile radius" is just plain inaccurate.
This event is really unfortunate for the area. I live near Washington Park and go to this store often. One point of clarification, the "West End Kroger" is one mile away from the Publix, not five. Also, there is a bus that runs downs Ashby St towards Cascade Rd. This is a 15 minute trip at most. Sims-Alvarado has a car, so she probably doesn’t know this.
I've passed by this store many times but have never been inside. However, I've heard repeatedly from friends living in Castleberry Hill, Downtown, and the Marietta Street Artery that they all patronize the Midtown locations instead for a simple reason: selection. Apparently Publix has always stocked this location with sub-par merchandise, so folks would originally go here (out of support for the concept) AND another location to find items that weren't available at this one. Eventually the selection worsened, and the desire to shop here simply went away for most people with vehicles or access to another store. A similar issue occurred when Kroger opened a Downtown location. Folks tried to support it, but the item mix just didn't work and worsened significantly before the store finally closed. (A second Downtown location, planned near Centennial Olympic Park, consequently never materialized). I wouldn't blame this on either of the two chains. My hometown in Mississippi has a similar issue with a local grocer who has locations in two historic neighborhoods. Folks want to support them, but the selection simply doesn't compare to the Kroger to the north, so folks generally skip these closer (and local) stores and head there instead. The industry seems to think that the stores near urban centers must offer only the fattiest meats, the most compost-ready produce, and the broadest selection of fried and junk food. Leaders approached Fresh Market a few years ago about opening a location Downtown, and I had the impression the company was downright insulted at the thought, as an inner-city grocery is somehow supposed to be the antithesis of "fresh."
I use to shop at this publix about 4 years ago but stopped because they never had anything fresh. And what they did have was always overpriced. I understand the reasons for that happening but it still didn't make it right.
Great story, Thomas. Go forth and write the BIG story on HJ Russell properties in intown Atlanta: outdated, gated communities that create pockets of criminality immediately outside their walls; vacant, untended land that is a magnet for drug activity, vagrancy, and crime; and vacuous promises to intown Atlanta neighborhoods.
I think it's wrong to assume that many of those that patron this place have many other options. The townhall meeting Tuesday night was evidence of the disappointment. Y'all assume that everyone drives. That's simply not the case.
This is definitely sad news...I bought at the townhomes a few years ago with the impression that the development and retail in the adjacent areas was going to be completed bu 2 years later still nothing but the Publix and Beauty Supply Store, Chinese Food Restaurant and a Sun Trust. If this Publix closes down with no grocery store to replace it there will be a MAJOR void and the surrounding business' will all suffer greatly. HJ RUSSELL and ADA need to seriously work this out with Publix...can they have free rent? any incentives to stay? anything!?
Westside do over http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A66064
Until the city of Atlanta can make the city a safe place I'm sure that you'll see the West End and other areas nearby continue to degrade. Why should Publix continue to operate in a place where they are losing money? I'm sure Wayfield Foods can come in and take over.
2.1 million in TAD money? Secondarily, and this may or may not have helped, but that development is hostile to the street and the way in which Russell builds his properties in antithetical to what makes a good city. Artist Square is removed from the street and closes the development off from what should be its life blood. The sad part is due to Government money, he has no incentive to make a product that does anything different. He gets money upfront to build it, and then pockets on the back end through Section 42. He gets so much public money, and still politicians have to go there and genuflect. Ending these type of relationships is the only reason to vote for Mary Norwood, and it wasn't good enough to get her elected, but hopefully Kasim will recognize that's where the discontent lies.
Thomas, some fact checking: The publix at north ave is 3 miles. The publix at west peachtree and 10th street is 3.5 miles and literally RIGHT next to the marta station. Taking Ashby to five points, then five points to midtown will get you right in front of the publix at 10th/west peachtree in about 20 minutes. The kroger on howell mill is only about 4 miles away. The kroger at west end is also about 4 miles. Ivory Young is, and always has been, Russell's right hand man in city council. Russell can make one call to Ivory Young and Young will push anything through council. Clearly he doesnt want to lose Publix, made a call to Ivory and said can you help me out.
Publix has always avoided ethnic (read black) neighborhoods. Look at the map of locations on the Publix website: no stores ITP south of I-20, and with the Historic Westside Village, there won't be any ITP west of I-75. It's the same in other cities where Publix is prominent; Miami, Tampa, Orlando, etc. It's a Southern company run by good ole' boys. Publix - where shopping is a pleasure - for white folks.
Your mention of stores in midtown omitted the Murder Kroger, the Gay Kroger (next to Ansley), and another Publix at Ansley Mall (as well as the Publix, mentioned by a commenter above, at W. P'tree & P'tree Place). The complaints about the poor quality of produce at the West End Publix is also true of the Murder Kroger. The Gay Kroger has a far better quality and selection of produce.
Yes, Paul, as founder of the Publix chain I established a policy of never selling groceries to certain people, no matter how much money there was to be made. So there are none of our stores in Louisiana because of all the Cajuns. California? Too many Mexicans. Minnesota? Who wants to deal with all the Scandanavians, eh? New York? Gawd, no! Too much of everything! Mostly we want to sell groceries to people with ancestry from southern Europe. Except the former Soviet bloc. And we'd really rather not deal with people of Portuguese heritage if we can help it.
Yes, we do, NomNomNom. I cranked this piece out on deadline and didn't give it a close enough read. I apologize.
Where does it say that every neighborhood is ENTITLED to a grocery store? If a community will not or does not support a merchant and that merchant does not make a profit, then said merchant will move or go out of business. That is what Publix is doing. It is a business decision. If the store was making money, it would stay. It’s as simple as that. Support your local merchants and this will not happen.
@southbeach "The publix at north ave is 3 miles away." That's over an hour each way on foot, IF you cut through crime-ridden downtown Atlanta. "The publix at west peachtree and 10th street is 3.5 miles and literally RIGHT next to the marta station." So now the low income should be required to pay $4 for each trip to get the groceries they used to be able to walk to? (I'm not even responding to the 4 mile answers) The point is people shouldn't have to walk 3 miles or be forced to use transit to get necessities. They shouldn't even have to drive that far. That's the reason that, of the three alternative Publix, the North Ave and Atlantic Station locations are both LESS than 1 1/2 miles from the 10th St store, let alone from competing grocery chains. (And you think it's fine that people will be forced to go 4 miles for fresh meat and produce!!!) Besides, I've never been able to get through the Westside Village line in under 5 minutes. There's always a line. Granted I don't manage in the grocery industry, but I worked in retail in college and I don't see how the constant lines translate to missed sales goals. How much were you expecting to make off of poor folks and college students?
This is terrible news for the area, but let's not pretend Publix is under any obligation to keep unprofitable stores open. If the store made money, they'd keep it open. Based on the story above, Publix kept its promise. Retail typically goes where customers are -- not where they're hoping the customers will eventually be. Publix bet millions on the notion the n'hood was going to "turn around." It didn't turn around. That's not their fault.
@Free Market Economy: Should AT&T stop maintaining or even turn off the towers in the suburbs because they get more traffic per capita from the denser population in midtown? Operating a cell tower for a couple square blocks of houses at a loss isn't a good business decision either, yet customers would be outraged if their service was cut off, even if there was another store 3 miles away... I mean, even if they could still use their home phones.
@Tim - You seriously wrote this: "The point is people shouldn’t have to walk 3 miles or be forced to use transit to get necessities." Yes, people should have fresh food and necessities brought to them by magic donkeys with in-brain GPS and unlimited American Express gift cards. Your utopic fantasies aside, Publix has no obligation to lose money in order for people to have a store nearby. As a former resident of Capital View, I shopped at that Publix and at the West End Kroger. Losing the Publix is a blow for the n'hood. But I now live in Grant Park and I have to travel more than 3 miles to get to a grocery store. While you're lobbying for mandatory grocery placement in West End, send one our way too please.
@Mr. T "Yes, people should have fresh food and necessities brought to them by magic donkeys with in-brain GPS and unlimited American Express gift cards." Um... if that's what you got from that statement, that's fine. I didn't ask for delivery service, I asked for accessibility. People purchased homes and started families in the area because of this Publix. YOU on the other hand moved to Grant Park, which never had a store, on your decision.
@Tim: "crime ridden downtown Atlanta"? Really? You think the crime rate in downtown is higher than the area surrounding the MLK Publix?
@Tim: No, what you said was people shouldn't have to go three miles for groceries, which is absurd, and I made an ridiculous statement to illustrate. What I then explained was that there are many intown neighborhoods that have to travel at least that far for groceries and asked that while you are playing grocery fairy, sprinkle some magic dust on Grant Park and Peoplestown so they can have grocery stores too. And if you're going to start down the personal responsibility line (because I chose to live more than 3 miles from Kroger), start with yourself. These families you mention chose to live there and therefore accepted the consequences of living in an area of that's been "transitional" for as long as I can remember. I feel badly for them but not to the point that grocery stores are now protected in the bill of rights.
@MOTS What I KNOW is that I feel a lot safer walking to Food for Life, Publix, or any of the other businesses on MLK at night from Castleberry Hill than through Five Points to get to North Ave. Look, I understand that Publix has no obligation to say there. I get that. My issue is this: a lot of us bought property in the area because of it's proximity to a relatively new grocery store (only been there 7 years) that was supposed to anchor a neighborhood shopping area that we could walk to. (I understand that the development, or lack there of, is HJ's responsibility, not Publix) You renters get the opportunity to relocate every 12 months, so for you, 'it's not a big deal, just move,' but it's not that simple for owners. I highly doubt Publix decided to close the store a few weeks ago. If the store of seven years is unprofitable now, I'm sure it was even less profitable in it's early years before the surrounding area at least STARTED to regroup and revive. My issue is NOT that THEY're leaving. Good riddance. It is with how ABRUPTLY they are leaving. As the article said, the store hasn't even posted signs for customers yet, but plans to close within the month. If they've been running the store for seven years without compliant, I feel that they can stomach another year, or at least six month, until another tenant can be found, instead of dropping the customers who have supported the store since it opened.
Tim: According to the article, there are convenience stores in the area. If you need something small (like milk, etc.) you can go to a convenience store. How often do people go to a grocery store? Once a week? Riding 20 minutes on Marta once a week to a grocery store certainly isnt terrible. With that said-- of course I would prefer to see the publix stay. But the sensationalism in the article was unnecessary. Its not as if it would take hours to get to another grocery store.
I think this says it all. http://tiny.cc/ZU63y Also to the people living in the Historic Westside Village...quit electing stupid people. When you elect stupid people...you get stupid results.
This is terribly sad. It makes me fear for my little Publix in Plaza Midtown. When I was looking for a place I seriously considered Westlake Village because of the Publix. Having a grocery store in walking distance is a HUGE amenity. BTW, the Publix in AS is west of I-75.
Tim, your issue changes with every post as the previous issue gets answered. But I get it. You're unhappy about it. So am I.
Where is the "Murder Kroger" located? The Westside Village Shopping plaza the surrounding businesses and the AUC (Spelman, Morehouse, Clark Atlanta Univ.) need that Publix to stay. It amazes me that with over 10K students, professors and administrators in that area and the prominence of those HBCU's in that area that they can't have a better neighborhood to thrive in. There is no reason why the AUC can't have it's own Technology Square type of development surrounding the campus. Shame on The Black Atlanta leaders that continue to neglect this area and pour money into Cascade/Camp Creek area. Washington Park which is adjacent to the Westside Village was the 1st Black neighborhood planned neigborhood in Atlanta and Hunter Street which is MLK used to be thriving until de-segregation. These areas are too close to the inner core of the city to still be undeveloped.
the murder kroger is on ponce: http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Atlanta-GA/Murder-Kroger/74751023872?ref=ts
I have a hard time believing that store wasn't turning a profit. It was ALWAYS crowded (always a line for the hot deli items and subs, etc) and it's the only grocery store for miles. I did a search on store closings and Publix and came up with a few articles of Publix closing down the only grocery stores in other poor neighborhoods in South Florida basically leaving residents stranded as they are doing here. Outside of Whole Foods and Trader Joe, Publix is the best supermarket Atlanta has to offer. Wayfield foods, Winn Dixie, etc are foul. However, this store closing leaves such a sour taste in my mouth, I am not sure I will patronize any Publix supermarkets in the future. As someone else commented, the least they could have done is give 6 months to a year notice of their intention to close giving time for the owners of the space to find another grocer.
Considering that this store is closing due to slow sales, obviously the residents of that area have ALREADY been taking their business elsewhere and have no problem doing so. Publix does indeed have nice stores, but compared to Kroger and Walmart are OUTRAGEOUSLY overpriced! And they always have been. So it stands to reason that in a bad economy people simply will not pay a premium for food when they can get elsewhere for less. In my neighborhood (a suburb filled with the well to do) there is a Publix less than 2/10ths of a mile from my front door and I REFUSE to shop there even for emergency items. For five years I have opted to drive a mile and a half down the road and shop at the Walmart or Kroger where the prices are much cheaper. The only surprise to me is that this West End store closing didn't happen sooner or that more Publix locations have not already gone out of business. But as typical with Black neighborhoods, there will rarely be more than one retailing choice (if any) thereby forcing the poor and elderly to shop there and be gouged for the privilege.
Merry Christmas to the Westside! From your friends at Publix Where Shopping Used to be a Pleasure! ****************** As a resident of Washington Park, I find it hard to agree with Publix's rationale for closing. If they were really operating in the red, why'd they wait 8 years to close? Perhaps they weren't meeting their sales objectives, but they certainly weren't operating in the red. Nevertheless, whatever the rationale, they have a right to close and have made the decision to do so. It's just an extremely hard pill to swallow for someone that waited in long lines at Publix on a weekly basis over an 8 year period. Publix's tag line is "We will never knowingly dissapoint you." Well, consider me dissapointed!
I didn't buy in Castleberry Hill or on Marietta Street because I was not convinced that the "transitional" period would be short. I was unwilling to make a ten year bet on my primary residence, so I bought on Peachtree Street in Midtown. It worked out well because I had to sell my place last year, several years earlier than I planned. Lesson - when you buy in a "transitional" neighborhood, it may not improve and could get worse. Roll the dice, but don't bitch about losing the bet. That said, Publix, has many have pointed out have no obligation to remain. They definitely don't have an obligation to pay tens of thousands of dollars in extra rent in order to ease the transition and help the community absorb the blow.
According to Dale, corporations have no responsibility to the consumers who sustain their existence. See how well that attitude is working out for Americans. Jobs sent overseas, benefits cuts, layoffs abound because we demand accountability from these businesses.
Anika, if the consumers could sustain their existence here, they wouldn't be leaving. I can understand the anger and frustration, but if blame is to be laid, it should largely go to the project developers who couldn't find a way to make the project viable.
Anika - not just me. BTW, I could argue that most of those jobs you talk about were sent overseas due to increased cost and regulation.
I want to add, corporations have a duty to deliver the best product at the best cost to those consumers while making enough profit to stay in business during economic downturn and expand during good times. That said, is that a duty to the consumers or to their shareholders?
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