The council gave the green light to Hy-Vee, even though they didn’t meet the city staff’s and zoning commission’s conditions/recommendations. Developers did make some improvements to the design, but the function of the west side of the store was not one of them. There will be no access from the west — in fact, Hy-Vee officials stated that even employees are not allowed to enter the rear (west side) of the store.
Officials also stated that an entrance in the rear “would not have worked from an operational standpoint of the supermarket’s business.” But I still think that, with a little creativity, they could have figured out a way to provide access from the west — even if it were just an indoor passageway from the west parking lot to the east entrance.
Construction is slated to begin in the spring, and will include demolishing an entire leg of the original strip mall. This will be the biggest change to come to Sheridan Village since it opened in the ’50s.
… and the reason we need another grocery store within a rock’s throw of Kroger and a bow and arrow from Schnucks????
Yay!! Now Kroger will have to stop gouging for some items…or move out.
With more than 225 stores, I wouldn’t imagine Hy-Vee to get creative when it comes to form and function for one of their stores.
I’m not saying it’s a good thing-but they probably follow a strict blueprint when building.
As for the city letting is go through, disregarding recommendations-that is another story.
to kcdad, its called the free market.
Right out of the Journal Star….I’m confused.??
“They’d like to see Sheridan Village tie in with them the look of the ornamental lighting,” Manning said. “That is not something the council should be mandating on businesses like that. That’s just my personal belief.”
But isn’t the city trying to mandate what he HyVee looks like? Talk about double standards. They just pick and choose what they want to mandate. You never know what the city is going to ask of you when you develop a project.
“As for the city letting is go through, disregarding recommendations-that is another story”
They would be dammed if they do and dammed if they don’t.
@peoriafan: Illinois state statutes have granted communities the right to regulate design such as lighting. This has been upheld in State Supreme and Federal Courts all over the country. Sorry, I don’t feel like quoting case law, but it is out there.
I think city leaders need to educated on their scope of regulation.
Why should the city regulate any design? Perhaps a cohesive design can assist in maintaining value of the center and attractiveness to potential customers. If design didn’t matter, the Hy-vee would be a morton building. It matters.
bbbb- you did not get my point!
The city was telling HyVee what their store should look like but then Manning said of the ornamental lighting request by the neighboors that was not something the city should be mandating on businesses. It just confused me because if they can mandate what the store looks like why can’t they mandate they put in ornamental lighting?
I am all for a good looking center, I just didn’t get his statement.
Peoriafan,
The Hy-Vee project reminds me of the Knoxville Cub Foods. Thetford said the project would be good for the neighborhood etc. But, is that area really any better than it was? Is there less crime? Are people choosing to move to that part of the city? Did it spur on more development and enhance the area? NO, no, no and no.
What does the community get from projects like these? Not much.
So now we are getting another ugly big box store which will help line the pockets of an Iowa based company and give a group of guys from New York less heart burn because they have a signed lease. The landscaping is simply lipstick on a pig.
When Manning went to bat for those guys at the expense of the neighborhoods he lost credibility as someone who knows what it takes to revive the urban core. At the end of the day he all but ignored his constituents concerns and he acted as if he was doing everyone a big favor by having a few private meetings and taking some phone calls. His position was defensive and even hostile to some.
Big box stores take away from neighborhood character and they offer few career ladder jobs. These enterprises suck resources from cities and exacerbate urban blight. If Peoria wants to attract high paying jobs (and keep the ones we have) we must begin to offer a variety of upscale experiences and that will not happen until the city sets the tone through design requirements and improvements to the public space. Sheridan Village could have evolved to be more like a village. That name now sounds ridiculous.
And to expand on the point made by bbbb about the Morton buildings-Manning has that covered too- just take a look at Sherman’s addition off of Glen. Yes, an ugly, metal, Morton building is now greeting the people living on Sherwood. How would you like to be them? That is what we get because our city ordinances do not control design and we are at the mercy of what businesses think is best for them.
Have you seen the sign Sherman’s put up? It is really ironic- it says something to the effect of “Thanks to you we are expanding” The neighbors should have a response sign that says “Thanks to you and your ugly building we are moving”
Manning could have started the process years ago to get an ordinance in place to prevent that very thing, but apparently he believes we can rely on the business community to do the right thing. That may be possible in wealthier communities, but not in cities like Peoria.
We must do everything possible to build advantage so that we can compete with cities that have distinguished themselves as desirable places to live.
Maybe Manning is learning a lesson …. that it’s easier to criticize the actions of a sitting councilmember (who has to make tough decisions – some of which are unpopular with the citizens). I agree he didn’t come through on his campaign promises to support neighborhoods/citizens first and foremost; but do we really expect them to do what they said when they campaigned?
Having said that, sometimes the Councilmember has to take a position they feel is right for the city even when the electorate doesn’t support it. That’s the entire premise of a representative democracy. It sounds good to tell citizens you’ll listen to them and support them if elected, but that isn’t the system we have (completely). If we want that, we can just do away with our form of government and institute lengthy referendums or annual town meetings (like they have in many smaller new england towns) where major decisions are made directly by the citizens. Not sure it would be an improvement at all.
George: Amen. Will you be running for Peoria City Council? If yes, which District? I support your analysis.
We need to do something different — not for difference sake — which is what Peoria has been doing for the past 15 years I have lived here — change with a purpose other than supporting the rich and wealthy ideas which are misguided and overpriced and generally overbudget. Where is the park district getting the additional moneys for the future zoo expansions? Is anyone concerned about this new development?
There are no high-paying career ladder jobs left for the blue collar worker. You probably have a better chance of spending your whole career at a Hy-Vee than any factory that would move in and move out in five years.
I’m not getting the whole two entrance debate. You want business to move in, but you want to sabotage anyone that does. The days of a corner grocery are long gone and they are never coming back. You need to figure out that the community you grew up in is nothing more than a fond memory. Economics is not as simple as it once was.
Peo Proud,
Yes, I expect elected officials to stick to their word, unless they convince me otherwise. I am an eternal optimist which is why I am bothered by Manning demonstrating he really has no idea what makes this city tick. He has insulted most of us since he assumes he knows best. He is more interested in the power of the position than using the power to make positive change happen. Not to mention the fact that he is a complainer. When you talk to him he is always overworked blah, blah, blah. Hearing him talk you would think he has done all of us a big favor.
There isn’t one big box project that has delivered anything good to Peoria except cheap food. And food will need to be free to compensate for the shrinking tax base we see around these stores. We will pay higher taxes, as Ardis said in the Journal Star front page article September 5, 2008.
We can not get blood from a turnip and you can not make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. We are living in the land of the sow and our tax bills will prove it- just wait and see. Everyone should ask their elected officials what plans are underway to increase the tax base. And please get them to give you details. There is not a single person on the city council, except for Gary Sandburg, that has any clue about sound city policy.
Yes, Diane Vespa, I said details from our elected officials, just like you expected from Ken Hinton when he tried to push “Wacky Wednesdays” down your throat. You expected him to talk to you even though you most definitely made him mad- furious in fact- he was beet red and you still expected him to be courteous.
Ryan, You may not be aware, but there is a movement across the country to bring back the smaller venue store. Whole Foods, Home Depot, Trader Joes, J.Crew, Walgreens, Target are all designing smaller stores. People prefer to shop with less stress and they want to bump into their neighbors. Humans need to connect with one another. In fact, I will bet you that because Peoria has become so disconnected we have a higher rate of Prozac use per capita than any place of similar size.
Peoria citizens we can do better than what we are doing- you all have to stand up and ask for more. Yes we can is just not a national cry it should be a local one as well. Let’s get it done.
Whole Foods designing smaller stores? Huh? I worked there for 6 years in Arizona. Their relatively new Chandler, AZ store is 60,000 sq. ft.
Ian,
60,000 is less than 89,000 and Whole Foods has stores in the 40,000 square foot range.
I am impressed that Whole Foods built a store with only 60,000 sq. feet since Phoenix and the surrounding area (Chandler included) is well known for urban sprawl. So, I would not use Phoenix as a barometer for how to build smart.
Time will tell whether building an 89,000 square foot Hy-Vee store in Sheridan Village was the best long term decision for the community. I think the City Council has made another mistake.
I get no pleasure in being able to say “I told you so” Let’s hope I am wrong.
Thanks for the information about the Chandler Store
Thought you would want to see what WalMart is doing:
From Wikipedia:
Ian- Not wanting to sound like I am beating a dead horse but an article was published in a trade journal in April of 2008. Here is an exerpt:
From TNS Retail Forward…
Small food stores are big with busy consumers
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The future retail landscape will be filled with an increasing number of small-store food concepts as retailers strive to capture the attention of busy consumers, TNS Retail Forward reports. Recently released TNS Retail Forward ShopperScape survey results indicate that shoppers are ready and willing to shop the new breed of small food concepts.
“The combination of small size and a fresh, prepared foods emphasis is a compelling offer for the time-pressed shopper,” said Jennifer Halterman, senior consultant with TNS Retail Forward and author of the recently published Retail Perspectives report titled “Small Stores, Big Trend.” “The small-store trend, which more players are beginning to explore, is part of an ongoing evolution in the retail food sector and we expect more players to throw their hats into the ring.”
U.K.-based Tesco is establishing a small-store presence with its Fresh & Easy rollout in the United States. Not surprisingly, large U.S. food retailers such as Wal-Mart and Safeway are reportedly planning to open small-scale grocery concepts of their own in their quest to take advantage of the demand for convenience, attract the aging Baby Boomer, search for new growth vehicles and round out their store portfolios.
TNS Retail Forward’s ShopperScape research indicates that two-thirds of shoppers would definitely or probably shop a small food concept that places emphasis on convenience and fresh, prepared foods.
Perhaps you you would be willing to do a story on this trend- unless you want to wait 20 years when we finally see it happen in Peoria.
Ian,
Here are two articles written this week reporting evidence that the trend is toward smaller stores, which only underscores our Peoria City Council members are out of touch.
This week (Sept 9,2008)the following article appeared in the New York Times:
Miles of Aisles for Milk? Not Here
By ANDREW MARTIN
Published: September 9, 2008
HARMAR TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Like cars and homes, grocery stores are beginning to shrink.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/business/10grocery.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
And this article from the Boston Globe: Grocery store will try less-is-more format in Plymouth
September 10, 2008 07:49 AM
http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2008/09/grocery_store_w.html
The globe reports: The Market, a grocery story looking to take advantage of a less-is-more industry trend, has scheduled its formal opening for Sept. 17, its managing director said.
The article goes on to say: The Market is deliberately small scale with about 14,000 square feet of space; many supermarkets are four times as large.
According to the Market’s managing director, Michael Szathmary, the Market is part of a larger trend that has taken hold across the country; the trend is a response to consumers who feel put off by “the impersonal nature of mega stores.”
Szathmary said in a statement: ““We have held many meetings with shoppers, and we repeatedly heard that they were not happy pushing their shopping carts down aisles the length of a football field. People want high-quality foods and good service, but do they really crave 15 different choices of paper towel and miles of aisles? We don’t think so, and our research supports that.”
In conclusion:
It is Manning’s job, as our elected official, to stay abreast of what the community needs to thrive in the future. He has taken an oath to do what is best for us. I say he and his the city council herd of sheep have blown a major opportunity.
@George
I frequently shop at Fresh n’ Easy and Wal-Mart neighbrhood markets because they are smaller, priced competively. I don’t feel like I’m shopping at a warehouse just to buy a couple apples and a gallon of milk. It’s refreshing and enjoyable.
George,
Thank you for sharing the info (and the picture) about Wal-Mart. It makes the one on North Allen Road look like it overdosed on steroids. Who knew that a mega grocery chain could look so lovely? 🙂 Not many around here, apparently, least of all the City Council.
Good info George. Thank you.
I do like Whole Foods-the company really takes care of its team members.
I worked at the smaller, older Tempe location for several years. I though the Chandler one was a bit insane as far as size. Kinda got away from what WFM was/is about.
Thanks again for the articles.
You are all most welcome- just doing my part to spread the news-Peoria can be better we just have to ask and if the council people don’t listen- VOTE THEM OUT
George: Voting them out to get more of the same only repeats the cycle of insanity. Voters need informed candidates who become informed and active elected officials. Again, will you be running for Peoria City Council?
George: did you really like the way Sheridan Village has deteriorated over the years? Now we will have something decent to look at and visit-let the market decide if Krogers,Schnucks, or Hy-Vee is better for them. You have the Councilman all wrong-he puts more time in the job representing the neighborhood folks and association than you do blogging. Just ask them-better yet, run against him and talks facts instead of personal opinions.