KGW reports that a New Seasons grocery store is coming to the vacant, three-acre lot bounded by North Vancouver Avenue, Williams Avenue, Fremont Street and Cook Street in Portland's Eliot neighborhood. This is big news. The site has been a gash in the fabric of this historic neighborhood for years, especially after the early-20th-century Wonder Bread bakery was demolished in 2007. Mayor Sam Adams says the store will be part of a larger redevelopment that includes affordable housing. I haven't been able to track down any site plans or other related information.
It will be interesting to see if gentrification concerns arise as they often do in this historically African-American neighborhood. Feelings are still a little raw over the traffic safety project that unintentionally pitted mostly-white, mostly-younger cyclists against mostly-black, mostly-older residents that lived through decades of urban renewal demolition. I'm hoping that, in this case, everyone in the neighborhood, regardless of their background, can agree that New Seasons will be a tremendous improvement over the existing hole in the ground. Even if they sell soy, coconut, rice, almond and hemp milk to vegan hipsters. (For the record, New Seasons is my store of choice - there's one a block from my house - and as a lactose intolerant, I am a consumer of said milks. I am a walking Portlandia episode.)
Does anybody have more details on the project?
Here's a great back-and-forth among good friends and NoPo residents Maria, Tony and George, from my Facebook page:
ReplyDeleteMaria: Me, not so much. I shop there occasionally, but don't love the store. Not sure they like people that are less economically affluent.
George: Hmm, why do you say that 'they don't like people that are less economically affluent'? Yes, prices are high but I see people there paying with Oregon Trail cards often and they are committed to hiring from within the neighborhoods of their stores. They give benefits without having to work full-time. Plus, they contribute from profits annually to local, small farmer. Hardly seems like "they don't like" people because of their income. In fact, I'd say New Seasons is a great example of Triple-Bottom Line business practices.
George: Yes, I'm psyched to be able to walk there. Psyched that it will help the value of my home increase. Psyched to get that area cleaned up. Psyched they will hire from the neighborhood. I just hope that the development that goes with it includes voices from all different people in the area. The fact that it might get paired with some affordable housing is great. While the are is gentrifying, no doubt, there is a large concentration of affordable housing and services in the area. Plus, I'm a foodie and spend a ton on good ingredients and I feel New Seasons has the best. Portlandia enough for you, Steve?
Tony: I'm super excited to be part of that white privileged class in north Portland, where I can stop by my stereotypical Portland-hip store, buy a $7 jug of orange juice and $6 loaf of bread and go home and read my Portland Monthly mag and sip on "local" Pinot with my pinky pointed in the air. Not stepping in to defend Maria, just saying it's one more Portland yuppie-fest I could do without, regardless of all the Portland-centric microeconomic textbook positives it may provide.
George: It is a yuppie-fest to be sure, but are you suggesting that where you shop defines who you are as a person? Do you think that people in our neighborhood perceive you any different from a young, white professional who shops at New Seasons? As a homeowner in that neighborhood, what would you like to see on that site?
Maria, Tony & George continued:
ReplyDeleteTony: For me personally? Of course not, but in our fair city which I love, I think where you shop can most definitely define you as a person via identity politics (I'm a liberal progressive therefore I ensure people see my reusable Whole Foods and New Seasons bags in the kitchen...or I'm a self-described suburban conservative and "damn right I save a buck at Wal-Mart!"). I also wont lie when I say heaven forbid someone go to a dinner party in inner-PDX and say you went to Winco to stock up on a few things. I'm of course not saying you would judge, but there are many in our contingent who do, and most definitely associate themselves with somewhat contrived holistic lifestyle choices.
I'm sure I definitely fit the white yuppie demographic but I try to stray when I can. This is one of those instances. I think a New Seasons could be a great anchor, I just 1) personally think a more accessibly priced store would fit better, and 2) I shop at New Seasons, but it's like IKEA for me. I always leave pissed off and disgruntled and 40 bucks poorer with three things in my bag. So I entirely recognize the benefit from development and economic scale perspectives, but from a more personal standpoint really wish our hood would stay a little rough and diverse. I left SE (haha, such a migration right?) to get away from such silly hype.
George: " also wont lie when I say heaven forbid someone go to a dinner party in inner-PDX and say you went to Winco to stock up on a few things." I laughed out loud when I read this! So true!
Tony: Your comments also! Great convo. Let's get beers, talk Duck football, and maybe throw some more New Seasons stuff in there!
I also hope Steve is getting a kick out of this back-and-forth. Good bantering!
George: I was just going to suggest that we do something totally different and counter culture and go to Vendetta and get Rainiers. I'm buying!
We should copy and paste all of this to the comments of his new blog.
BikePortland.org posted images of the plans...
ReplyDeletehttp://bikeportland.org/2012/01/04/new-seasons-market-coming-to-vancouver-williams-corridor-64713
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