Marathon Pundit: Chicago food desert update: Hyde Park Co-op may close or file for bankruptcy: UPDATED

The Hyde Park Co-op is about a mile from the home of Barack Obama, a prominent opponent of Wal-Mart. The co-op, a Socialist-tinged holdover from the Depression era, is the closest grocery to the Obama homestead.

I've been to the co-op, although they claim they've made improvements recently, I've noticed a scanty selection of goods, most of them overpriced. It's at best a medium-sized operation.

The co-op is in bad financial shape, and it faces two tough choices: closing immediately and being replaced by another grocer in the space it rents from the University of Chicago--or filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The Chicago "free registration required" has more.

Earlier this year, after the closing of some Dominick's supermarkets in Chicago, Gallagher Research identified some "food deserts" located in the nation's third-most populous city. A "food desert" is an area not served by a supermarket providing residents with low-cost choice for groceries. Most of these deserts are located in impoverished areas, but the Hyde Park neighborhood was among the deserts found by Gallagher.

The Obamas live in Kenwood a few blocks north of Hyde Park, where the family lived and work until purchasing their new home, with a little help of course.

Chicago's South Side seems to be a good place for such "big box" chains such as Wal-Mart and Target to expand into. But if it happens, it won't be with Obama's blessing. Speaking of the retail giant, Obama says, "I won't shop there." Of course until recently, Obama's wife Michelle served on the board of directors of a firm whose largest customer was, you guessed it, Wal-Mart.

Hyde Park doesn't have much open space for a "big box" store, but the impoverished area west of it, where an Olympic stadium may be built, has plenty.
So does the middle-class Chatham neighborhood south of Hyde Park. Ald. Howard Brookins wants a Wal-Mart in his ward, and the developer wants them there, too. Mayor Richard M. Daley vetoed the so-called "living wage" ordinance for big big box stores last year, but is quiet on whether he favors the Chatham Wal-Mart, which would be Chicago's second.

Interestingly, in 2004 Chicago's City Council--which has one Republican and 49 Democrats--approved the rezoning of the Chatham property where the Wal-Mart store might be built, but only if a Wal-Mart would not be a part of the development.

However, the only anchor tenant interested in putting down states at the Chatham site is Wal-Mart.

And those Chicago food deserts remain....

And don't look for any food co-operatives to move in. According to the Chicago Tribune, the city once had thirty such operations, and the Hyde Park Co-op is the last one. And it may be gone very soon.

On a personal note, although the food deserts aren't too far away from me-- there is no need to send me food.

UPDATE November 22: Crain's Chicago Business reported last night that the board of the Hyde Park Co-op voted to close the store. However, the issue needs to be voted on by the 2,600 member of the cooperative.

Related posts:

Chicago's "food deserts" well known to Obama

Big-box shy Chicago facing "food desert"

Chicago's first Wal-Mart--one year later

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