Just two weeks after Kroger closed its Western Avenue store in South Bend, neighboring businesses say they’re already hurting from the drop in foot traffic. The area’s city council representative has called a meeting to hear from the businesses.
Kroger closed the store July 22, two weeks earlier than it first announced. The company said it was one of 60 stores nationally it was shuttering because they were underperforming. But west side residents say the store was a star in their eyes.
“We need fresh fruit, fresh produce, you know," says South Bend Common Council member Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers. "Right now, hey, you’ve got to go way down to Martin’s to buy an apple, and everybody can’t afford to go to Martin’s. Because we have seniors, we have handicapped, we have low-income.”
The store sits in Gooden-Rodgers' 2nd council district. Grocery stores typically act as anchors for adjacent businesses, and she says they’re already reporting “noticeable declines in revenue.”
Gooden-Rodgers has called a public meeting for residents and the businesses Aug. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the MLK Dream Center. She hopes a new grocery store will occupy the Kroger building.
Allison Zeithammer, spokeswoman for Mayor James Mueller, said the city has requested a meeting with Kroger to learn their plans for the building because the company still owns it.
