The ONLY grocery store near O-Block robbed and now closed indefinitely creating a food desert

[Wildhundreds]

It actually is very difficult in Chicago. There is a lot of politics at play.

I mentioned before that my church is the largest property owner in Washington Park. We own probably up to 50+ properties from Garfield to 63rd st. I'm talking about large apartment complexes. That tall apartment tower on 63rd Michigan is even owned by us. We have built a lot of new construction as well. We have a separate redevelopment corporation that manages all the properties. Our priest is the CEO of the organization and he is one of the most powerful and connected black men in the city. Because we own so many properties, naturally, we would want businesses in the area for our residents. But even with our priest's connections (he's like a Father Pfleger but with more connections and money) it's still very difficult to get businesses in the area.

At best, with partnerships with the University of Chicago, we've been able to attract a few businesses along Garfield Blvd in Washington Park. But most of Washington Park is zoned for residential use. There's not many places where you can setup businesses within the actual neighborhood because of the fact.

But like I said, it's very difficult, even with all the connections and money. I'm not even sure what the process is when our priest, whose on the board of the Obama library and the University of Chicago Hospital as well as other prestigious institutions around the city, can't even get the type of businesses we need in the neighborhood.

Its not difficult if you're already zoned for it.. Im sure its a issue of you have to build from the ground up. Plenty of wards on the southside have ready to go buildings that would be zoned for grocery stores. Washington Heights just isn't one of them.

 

[invalid]

Its not difficult if you're already zoned for it.. Im sure its a issue of you have to build from the ground up. Plenty of wards on the southside have ready to go buildings that would be zoned for grocery stores. Washington Heights just isn't one of them.

Yeah things are very limited. The north side of the neighborhood abuts Garfield Blvd. Not much space there to put any stores as it is dense already. The east side of the neighborhood that abuts King Dr. is all residential. The south side on 63rd, there are some open lots but not enough space to sustain the type of traffic and not big enough to have parking lots. The best possibilities are on the west side of the neighborhood on State St. But that area is deserted and not dense so businesses may not feel they can turn a profit putting something over there. And that's just State St. in general after they tore down the Robert Taylor's. Nothing over there but a few schools and a few apartment buildings from 35th down to 63rd. So it's tricky with this neighborhood.