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A new grocery store may be opening in West Garfield Park, and the Garfield Park Community Council is asking residents to help decide what it will look like.
It will be built on the site of the former Aldi.
This public engagement effort is organized by the Garfield Park Community Council, Garfield Park Right to Wellness, West Side United, and Aldo. 28 jason irvinth Ward and the City of Chicago.
They are considering three options for grocery stores: co-op, nonprofit, and for-profit.
- Co-op: This option takes the longest to open, taking three to five years, but allows community members to purchase stock, elect a board of directors, and receive benefits such as discounts.
- Nonprofits: The timeline for this option is approximately two years. It will be part of an organization that works with the community and offers discounts through grants and donations.
- For-profit: This option would be the quickest to open within 1-2 years. It will be owned by a local, regional or national company. You can expect a wider selection of products, but the store could close at any time.
The move comes as the city considers a developer for the property. The neighborhood’s last grocery store, the Aldi on West Madison Street, closed in October 2021, citing poor sales and rising expenses. This region has become a food desert.
Residents and community leaders protested the closure, calling it discrimination against businesses and a threat to food security.
A year later, the Chicago City Council approved $700,000 to acquire Aldi’s shuttered site. The city plans to revitalize the building by proposing a mixed-use development centered around a grocery store.
Two proposals have been submitted to developers. Garfield Gather and Westgate. Both feature affordable housing, retail space, and public amenities. A final decision has not yet been made.
The Holiday Market, hosted by the Garfield Park Community Council and Garfield Park Right to Wellness earlier this week, brought not only the holiday spirit but also a discussion about the community’s needs regarding access to grocery stores on Dec. 9.
“During this time of year, there are no grocery stores at all other than pop-ups hosted by the Park Community Council to fill the gap,” GPCC Wellness Coordinator Angela Taylor said.
Taylor said the market has been in operation for 11 years and is one of the only sources of fresh produce in the community. However, the market was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and lost most of its vendors. Before the pandemic, there were 45 vendors in the market. Now he only has 12 pieces.
Although the market is open year-round, Taylor said it’s not enough to meet the neighborhood’s demand for healthy food.
“We’re grateful to have it available and we’re grateful that our partners who came to support us made this available to local residents,” Taylor said. .
Residents can leave feedback by filling out a 10-minute survey available on the GPCC website.
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