Residents on South Bend’s west side say they’re reeling from the announcement that the Western Avenue Kroger will shut its doors later this summer.
The closure is part of a broader downsizing by the grocery chain, which plans to shutter more than 60 underperforming stores nationwide. But in South Bend’s LaSalle Park neighborhood, the Kroger has served as more than a place to buy food.
“When I first read that Kroger was closing on Western, I was in a state of disbelief because there had been no prior warnings,” said Jorden Giger, a board member of the LaSalle Park Neighborhood Association. “It didn't seem that the Kroger was struggling in any way. I've been going to this Kroger since I was born basically with my family.”
Giger said the store’s pharmacy, which many residents rely on, is also set to close. Community members expressed concerns at a recent neighborhood meeting that the shutdown could reduce foot traffic in the shopping plaza and lead to additional business closures.
“That Kroger is, you know, within walking distance for a lot of residents in the area. That's the local employer, you know, folks that worked there in their youth,” Giger said. “It's just a really sad and hard loss for many of us here.”
With limited transportation options and few large grocery alternatives nearby, some worry the closure will push the area further into what the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as a food desert, a low-income area with limited access to fresh food.
Giger urged city leaders to step in and support efforts to attract a replacement grocer through financial tools like tax abatements or tax increment financing.
“Western Avenue is in a TIF district...that TIF money can perhaps be used to upgrade the building or upgrade the infrastructure around the building to be able to attract an employer,” he said.
Giger said the city needs to show the same level of investment on the west side that it does in other parts of town.
“We just want to see the same level of attention given to this area as the city gives to other areas on the east side of the river and downtown,” he said.
The Western Avenue Kroger is expected to close later this summer.
