Trader Joe's not welcome in black neighborhood

[Anonymous]

http://www.ibtimes.com/trader-joes-pulls-out-poor-portland-oregon-neighborhood-defeat-gentrification-1553231


"The Portland African American Leadership Forum objected to the proposed development partly because it feared that the new retail complex would eventually push up rental prices in the area and drive out the local black community."

[Anonymous]

How idiotic.

[Anonymous]

It's a tricky dilemma - putting desirable businesses in communities with a lower SEC will bring economic vitality to those areas, and uplift the neighborhood - but they will also raise neighborhood prices, so those people who will no longer be able to afford living in those neighborhoods, will face no choice but have to move.

Gentrification is a tricky thing, and I'm not sure what the solution is.

[Anonymous]

Quote from the article:

PAALF had called for the city to construct affordable housing on the vacant lot (in conjunction with the Trader Joe’s project), among other demands for City Hall. They also asked the PDC to provide a modest small business assistance to existing shops and restaurants in a nearby shopping center called Vanport Plaza. In January -- in what was something of an unprecedented move -- PDC officials admitted that in the past they had undertaken projects that uprooted black communities, but nonetheless rejected the PAALF’s demand for affordable housing to form part of the comprehensive Trader Joe’s deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a tricky dilemma - putting desirable businesses in communities with a lower SEC will bring economic vitality to those areas, and uplift the neighborhood - but they will also raise neighborhood prices, so those people who will no longer be able to afford living in those neighborhoods, will face no choice but have to move.

Gentrification is a tricky thing, and I'm not sure what the solution is.

Yes, these folks' concerns are real. I don't know what the answer is either but it is hardly "idiotic" as the pp above said to be worried.

[Anonymous]

Not idiotic at all if you understand gentrification. A local example is Columbia Heights. Many older AA and Hispanic people who bought there when it was undesirable were priced out of the new market. These were folks who invested in the neighborhood when yuppies would not have been caught dead there. Their tax bills and overall COL went through the roof and many of them (low SES and people on fixed income) had to pack up and leave. Sure, many of them cleaned up in selling their houses, but many of them did not want to move.

As PP said, it is a tricky thing. And most urban areas are dealing with this problem.

[Anonymous]

Weird. I'm a black person who shops at TJ's and I'm never the only one there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a tricky dilemma - putting desirable businesses in communities with a lower SEC will bring economic vitality to those areas, and uplift the neighborhood - but they will also raise neighborhood prices, so those people who will no longer be able to afford living in those neighborhoods, will face no choice but have to move.

Gentrification is a tricky thing, and I'm not sure what the solution is.

Yes, these folks' concerns are real. I don't know what the answer is either but it is hardly "idiotic" as the pp above said to be worried.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Weird. I'm a black person who shops at TJ's and I'm never the only one there

It's not about shopping there though. It's about the effect TJ will have in their neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quote from the article:

PAALF had called for the city to construct affordable housing on the vacant lot (in conjunction with the Trader Joe’s project), among other demands for City Hall. They also asked the PDC to provide a modest small business assistance to existing shops and restaurants in a nearby shopping center called Vanport Plaza. In January -- in what was something of an unprecedented move -- PDC officials admitted that in the past they had undertaken projects that uprooted black communities, but nonetheless rejected the PAALF’s demand for affordable housing to form part of the comprehensive Trader Joe’s deal.

So in other words, the PDC rejected reasonable development goals and this ended up causing the deal to fall through.

OK, how is this different from any of the dozens of groups in DC protesting the constructions of affordable housing, churches, daycare centers, stores, condos, etc? Is it so unfathomable that a community would say no to a Trader Joe's? The world does not revolve around jars of ethnic simmer sauces and peppermint Jo Jo's.

[Anonymous]

Many older AA and Hispanic people who bought there when it was undesirable were priced out of the new market

How do you get priced out of something you already bought?

[Anonymous]

One solution would be to employ people in the neighborhood, and be able to assure good wages and benefits. But TJs would be just one business, and it's impossible to employ a whole neighborhood or pressure people to change jobs they may like, even if the pay is not as good.

I know some people love to rant on TJs, but they at least provide better quality food than many places in low-income neighborhoods, and so-called "food wastelands." It definitely the possibility to make better choices.

But, there's no perfect situation. There will be a domino effect of both positive and negative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Many older AA and Hispanic people who bought there when it was undesirable were priced out of the new market

How do you get priced out of something you already bought?

Not pp, but if the property value goes up significantly, then your property taxes go up significantly. It can be a hard financial burden, especially if it happens quickly and you haven't planned for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Weird. I'm a black person who shops at TJ's and I'm never the only one there

That's not the point is it? I am AA and I go to TJ's also. But I live in an upscale area.

Now if I lived in a lower SES area and TJ's wanted to move in, but the city turned down every other proposal to keep the neighborhood affordable, I would be very suspicious about that - and rightfully so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Many older AA and Hispanic people who bought there when it was undesirable were priced out of the new market

How do you get priced out of something you already bought?

Really??? Your property taxes and usually insurance goes up.