CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago alderman’s long quest to bring retailing into her maligned neighborhood received a boost when ground was broken in Englewood for a Whole Foods grocery.
Alderman Joann Thompson wore a dress fit for wedding when she joined Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Whole Foods officials Tuesday at a groundbreaking ceremony for an 18,000 square foot store.
Emanuel said he didn’t want the store to be an island in a neighborhood that has seen its share of violence. He said the store is part of a strategy to see Englewood’s economic revitalization.
Whole Foods CEO Walter Robb said before deciding to build the store, Englewood’s entrenched poverty and “crime statistics” gave him pause. He says there are risks, but the store’s location near a college could allow it to succeed.
