What I witnessed at the monthly public planning and development meeting hosted by the Edgewater Community Council and Edgewater Developer Corporation at the Broadway Armory on March 12 was either one of the largest displays of complete egomania or just one more example of brazen Chicago "machine" ignorance.
One of the proposals before community members was an Aldi grocery store that wishes to lease space at the Clarovista development at Broadway and Granville. Originally, a Staple's was planned, but pulled out of its lease when completion of the development was delayed.
Ald. Joe Moore attended the meeting that evening because the dividing line for the 48th and 49th wards happens to be at Granville. The Clarovista real estate development falls within his ward, the 49th.
Moore went on a extended tirade chastising Aldi executives and Bill Platt (owner of the building) for what he called "going behind his back." He raised his voice further and said that they "started off on the wrong foot" and that they should be "watching their step for now on." They didn't go behind his back. He knew they wanted the deal for a long time and he had already said he didn't want them (very directly). Source/Read more.
Image by Grammar Gal
18 comments:
I would have loved a Trader Joe's there. A Walmart even. Having another grocery option is a good thing for the neighborhood. I guess I'll give the Aldi's a try.
Too funny. Aldi's owns Trader Joe's.
One would think, after 18 years, Joe could 'get with the program'.
These days, he and his minions seem to be 'scrambling' for credibility.
By not 'showing up' for the Outdoor Roll Call at Greenview and Fargo (a mere one-half block west of his 'official' residence) this past Monday evening, hasn't this CLOWN showed you, the residents and VOTERS of the 49th Ward, just HOW MUCH HE CARES ABOUT YOU?
It's just a theory mind you but could it be that the building's owner, Bill Platt, is behind on his pay-to-play-o-la? How much, if anything, has he paid into Joe's campaign war chest?
As Sigmund Freud once said, "Hey, it's just a theory."
- PEACE -
Lets face it joey doesn't care about the ward, joey didn't get his contribution from the party's involved so he went out in public and through his little fit, claiming how much he cares.
The man is a stupid asshole! Wake up , vote this embarrassment of a public official out of office!!
Joe Moore got passionate about something? Follow the money.
William Platt, President
Access Realty Group, Inc.
3738 N. Southport Av
$2,500.00 4/6/2006 to Citizens for Joe Moore
$2,500.00 12/23/2004 to Citizens for Joe Moore
William Platt & Associates
3728 N. Southport
Chicago, IL 60613
$2,500.00 4/6/2006 to Citizens for Joe Moore
$1,000.00 10/16/2006 to Democratic Party of the 49th Ward
$1,000.00 10/16/2006 to Democratic Party of the 49th Ward
Hugh said... Joe Moore pledged not to take contributions from developers, 7 years ago, back in 2000!
Neighbor David Starr, a former research director for Citizen Action/Illinois (of which Moore is currently a member of the Board of Directors), performed an analysis of Moore's campaign contributions. Starr found $57,100 in contributions from real estate developers, and he tried to ask his Alderman about it at a zoning meeting at Pottawatomie Park. Moore, who was chairing the meeting, ruled Starr was out of order.
And by the Way:
Some Wonder What a Contribution Buys
Marcella Tardy, Lerner News, April 5, 2000
Excerpt....> " ... it's been my long-standing policy not to accept campaign donations from anyone who has a zoning or land-use issue pending," Moore said. "That's not a requirement of law.
That's something I impose upon myself to remove any hint of possible influence."
William Platt really loves Joe Moore in a big way.
William Platt & Associates
3738 N. Southport Av
Chicago, IL 60613
$1,000.00 on 6/18/2008
Individual Contribution/Citizens for Joe Moore
William Platt & Associates
3738 N. Southport Av
Chicago, IL 60613
$2,500.00 on 4/10/2007
Individual Contribution/Citizens for Joe Moore
Pearl: Aldi & Trader Joe's have common ownership, but supposedly are separately run.
Both are owned by the Albrecht brothers.
But as Aldi's products have gotten much better, I'm sure that they are buying the same products & just using different packaging for them.
But curiously, the original plan was for a Trader Joe's to be built there.
I can't say I would be thrilled to buy a condo with an Aldi's in the bottom. Wow - too bad we couldn't have gotten a Trader Joes, Whole Foods etc there. Looks like Mr. Platt paid his dues to King Moore.
The latest new on a local Trader's Joes that I heard is the space currently occupied by the shuttered funeral home near the corner of Broadway and Foster.
i've been wishin' and hopin' that those trader joe's rumors we've heard for years would come true one day. good food, good prices, a needed grocery option in the 49th, a symbol for property owners/sellers that this is a good community to be a part of. with all due respect to the many folks out of work right now, the only time my family shopped at aldi was when both my parents were laid off and we were desperate. the place doesn't say "up and coming", it says "down and out".
the only trader joe we got is moore trading the safety and standard of living of our neighborhood for campaign donations. time to trade up.
I was at that meeting as well, and was positively embarassed by how Ald. Moore so blatantly rallied his supporters to prove his worth to Aldi's legal and corporate representatives. They provided some very interesting demographics that clearly show how a new concept Aldi's would fit into the neighborhood. It's not going to be like the Aldi's down on Montrose/Sheridan (though, btw, I do shop there and in fact bought an orchid for $13 there last week...$13!!!) But it'll be like the new ones out in Schaumburg and the other burbs. I went to the meeting inspired to get involved with the community and I left completely disenchanted.
I keep meaning to go check out the Uptown Aldi. I saw Joe's comments that he doesn't think it's nice -- I'd kind of like to judge for myself. I definitely have concerns that his vitriol is based only on Aldi not playing machine politics with him.
Who wouldn't want a condo with a full service grocery store in the building? I know I would like that.
As far as Aldi/Trader Joe's, Wikipedia says that Trader Joe's is owned by a trust set up by one of the original founders of Aldi - the one who runs/ran Aldi North. Aldi in the US is Aldi South - different company, and the other brother who ran that is no longer involved. So, there doesn't seem to be much of a connection between Aldi and Trader Joe's, from what I've read.
I have shopped at both, the N. California/W. Granville and N. Broadway/Sunnyside Aldi. I now only shop at their Rogers Park location because it's closer to where I live, and the Uptown location seems to attract unsavoury characters, such as, panhandlers and gang - banger types (I have never had that problem at the Rogers Park Aldi.)
Friend of mine had the opposite experience.
She and the elderly man she escorts to the Aldi's in RP to do his shopping were hassled and intimidated in a major way at the Rogers Park Aldi's, and store attendents did nothing about the gangbangers hanging out in the lot.
However, I go to the Broadway store in Uptown for staples, and love this store. It's a beautiful new store, and I've never been bothered or seen unsavory characters on the store property there.
I'll be glad to have the new Aldi's so close to me on Granville. The corner location is a big plus.
Additionally, it will spur Dominick's to be more competitive in their prices. I shop the Dominick's in Edgewater frequently, and every time a new discount chain opens in town, Dominick's has more sales.
The additional competition is a big plus.
The German brothers, Theo and Karl, created Albrecht's and then divvied up their multi-billion dollar operations. The companies are private, and very private at that, and so we don't really know what the relationships may or may not be. But what anyone who knows anything about European business knows is that connections run very deep. There's a relationship. Transpose yourself to a German dinner party where discussions are had about new store openings: "Ted, let's talk about the Aldi and TJ locations in Chicago. . . " Do we see any Aldi and TJ stores in the same neighborhoods? Just asking. . .
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