A former Chatham industrial site that was supposed to house Chicago's second Wal-Mart -- and first Super-center that sells groceries -- has been put up for sale by a developer whose hands were tied by City Hall.The unions in Chicago don't want Wal-Mart competing with the local grocery store chains who have union workers.So,the Chicago Aldermen(in the unions' pocket) restrain trade.The results are predictable: higher costs for consumers,less jobs,and a lower standard of living for poor people in Chicago.Chicago politicians would rather have jobs go somewhere else.
Two months ago, Planning and Development Commissioner Arnold Randall rejected Archon Development's request for administrative approval to build a 150,000-square-foot Wal-Mart at 83rd and Stewart.
Randall's decision left Archon with only three choices: Put the property up for sale; file a lawsuit on grounds that the city's decision discriminates against Wal-Mart or push for a City Council replay of the political donnybrook that gave birth to the vetoed big-box minimum wage ordinance.
On April 17, Wal-Mart and Archon met privately with Randall. They were told that Mayor Daley was determined to avoid another "bloody battle" with organized labor that might disrupt the long-term labor peace carefully crafted to bolster Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, sources said.
As a result, Archon chose the political path of least resistance -- by putting up a "For Sale" sign.
"We are actively pursuing sites in the suburban communities to serve our customer base" in Chicago, said Roderick Scott, Wal-Mart's regional vice president for community affairs.
Scott noted that Chicagoans spent $500 million last year in Wal-Mart stores that ring the city, $80 million of it from the 21st Ward, where the Supercenter would have been.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Chicago Turns Down 600 Jobs Because They'd Rather Wal-Mart Go to the Suburbs
The Chicago Sun-Times reports: