In Search of a City: Big Box Equals Big Bad
I am sad to see that Giant Eagle might move from its current Victorian Village location at Buttles and Neil to a new location at Vine and Neil. The move apparently allows Giant Eagle to increase its store size from large to huge in the never ending trend to make everything a big box store.
To the auto-addicted shopper, this move of four blocks might look insignificant. But anyone who walks, bicycles or takes the bus to the grocery knows that this proposed location is a hostile place, wedged among a freeway, freeway ramp and busy streets. And it is just far enough away from Victorian Village to make walking impractical.
Big box stores are incredibly anti-urban. Their whole premise is to draw motorists from as big a geographical area as possible. They require oceans of parking, which precludes integrating them into commercial strips like the Short North. And they tend to be “category killers,” which makes walkable competitors unlikely.
October 28th, 2008 at 8:34 am
My take on the Giant Eagle move is a little different. My wife and I live at The Buggyworks, and we do from time to time walk/bike to the current GE and to the North Market. I don’t think that the move effects us very much except make to make it closer. More important I think is GE effect on the North Market and on Westminster Thurber. The North Market I believe will have to change a little but on the whole I think the increased traffic to the area will help them. GE is a “Super Market” and not a specility store like the market. The increased traffic will help them reach more people.
Westminster Thurber is more difficult, many of the residents depend on GE and I expect that it will be a more difficult walk to get to the new location. I think that this is solveable and that GE would do well to look at ways to make the walk safe and easy for this group of people. By creating a larger mass of activity we will all enjoy more selection and expanded services. just my thoughts.
October 28th, 2008 at 8:35 am
I couldn’t agree more. And I don’t think the site is friendly for drivers either. As a Harrison West resident, I’ll probably just opt for the Grandview store when I need Big Bird-type items.
If you’re in the car anyway, opt for the North Market instead. Or Rife’s, of Huffman’s Mkt in UA, or Weiland’s on Indianola. They’re a lot more fun to shop!
October 28th, 2008 at 8:53 am
What’s wrong with a company trying to improve it’s services & goods it provides downtown? Isn’t that what downtown people are always wanting? Why not look at this as an opportunity for another business to take over what will be the former Giant Eagle space on Neil? It’s a great space for another retailer to move in. It gets tiring to hear downtown-dwellers wanting things to change and improve and then when there is movement in that direction, if it’s not to their specifications then it’s all wrong.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:37 am
I am also a little bit perplexed by this anti-big box stance. Which is worse: having people drive further to reach a big box, or having to make multiple stops to get everything you need? Specialty markets are wonderful when preparing a special meal, but they obviously don’t carry everything one needs during grocery trips. Until they do, patronizing them will frequently mean two-stop trips.
Has anyone seen the plans for the new Giant Eagle? Chicago does big box stores in the city very well… parking above the store and the front door is up to the street (not set back behind a parking lot, as the current Giant Eagle is). Hopefully the new store will use these kinds of design features. Witness the Whole Foods that was recently built in Lakeview, or the Jewel-Osco in the same neighborhood.
The move is unfortunate for Victorian Village residents, but we’re pretty happy about it in the Arena District.