Wal-Mart seeks to water Chicago's food deserts

On the left is a former Dominick's supermarket on Chicago's North Side. The Safeway owned chained closed over a dozen stores last year, leading to the creation of Chicago "food deserts"--areas not served by a supermarket.

Ironically the food-desertification of Chicago became acute shortly after the passing of the since vetoed big-box "living wage" ordinance by the Chicago City Council.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Wal-Mart is prepared to move "in six to 12 months, maybe sooner" to build as many as five South Side supercenters, but the world's largest retailer is scouting sites in neighboring wards in case local aldermen resist, a top official said Tuesday.

South Side Chicago Alderman Beale Anthony Beale adds more:

We have a food desert in our community. We're in desperate need of a quality grocery store. If Wal-Mart would commit to the site on 111th, that would give me two quality grocery stores and over 1,000 jobs.

Alderman Joe Moore, author of the "living wage" ordinance must be seething. But he has problems of his own. On Friday, Moore will learn the initial ruling from the judge presiding over challenger's Don Gordon's lawsuit over the results of April's 49th Ward aldermanic election--Moore was declared the winner. Gordon is alleging that vote fraud occurred and is asking that the results be overturned.

Related Marathon Pundit posts:

My book report: The Wal-Mart Revolution: How Big Box Stores Benefit Consumers, Workers, and the Economy

Breaking: Lawsuit alleges vote fraud in last week's 49th Ward election in Chicago

Big-box shy Chicago facing "food desert"

Chicago's "food deserts" well known to Obama

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