Grocery Store to Feed a Strong Charleston Downtown Community
- Lowcountry Up Is Good, PAC
- Closed on
- Target:
- BI-LO Corporation, Charleston City Government
- Region:
- United States of America
- Website:
- www.lowcountryupisgood.org
Thank you for signing our Petition on the closure of Charelston's downtown Meeting St. BI-LO. We'll be presenting cppies of your signatures and comments to Mayor Tecklinberg, the BI-LO Stores in the Charleston area and the wonderful people at the King Street Food Lion, who are stepping up to work with the city to improve food access security this morning at a 10 am Press Conference at the King Street Store. We'll see ou there. We also expect good news on our first Tiny House Village soon.
Whereas the BI-LO (Formerly Piggly Wiggly) Grocery Store on Meeting Street has been connected with the downtown Charleston community for over fifty years, benefitting from the patronage of the citizens of the city, obtaining the protection of the city's municipal services such as police and fire protection and has become a part of the community's collective experience and culture;
And further whereas the decision to close the store leaves the surrounding community and transit riders traveling on nearby bus routes who live in “food deserts” in North Charleston with no affordable alternative for grocery shopping within reasonable, walkable distance of their homes or public transit services. (No regular long haul CARTA route runs near the East Bay Street Harris Teeter, which is over a mile from the East Side of Charleston. Shoppers going home after work downtown can no longer find a grocery store near their route traveling North or West.)
And further whereas the Meeting Street BI-LO, combined with nearby multifamily and affordable housing, in combination with restaurants, gathering places, the Alley and employment at hotels within a block of the store created a walkable, sustainable urban environment for people in that area.
And further whereas a preliminary petition effort is needed to open a community discussion to refine and improve the approach to this issue, and with the understanding that this petition may be replaced with other petitions and proposals after a dialogue with the community is conducted.
Be it resolved that We the undersigned register our protest of the decision to close the BI-LO on Meeting Street and commit to boycott all BI-LO Stores, wherever located, until such time as either the decision to close the store is reversed and the corporation makes an enduring commitment to continue operation into the future, or
The City of Charleston, using it's power of eminent domain, purchases the Meeting St. store and real property on which it stands for the purpose of establishing a community cooperative grocery to provide affordable food and necessities to the surrounding community and accessible transit riders, while creating employment and implementing, to the extent possible, a policy of purchasing local, fair trade and sustainable items for purchase by the public, while operating with the minimum possible negative impact on the environment.
The Grocery Store to Feed a Strong Charleston Downtown Community petition to BI-LO Corporation, Charleston City Government was written by Lowcountry Up Is Good, PAC and is in the category City & Town Planning at GoPetition.