Affordable-housing advocates to boycott Pittsburgh’s Whole Foods (Fox Chapel, Liberty: evictions, chapel)

[tyovan4]

When more than 200 evictions were announced at Penn Plaza last summer, rumors quickly circulated about what the building’s owners, LG Realty, had in store for the site. Many believed a big-box store, like Costco or Walmart, would take the place of the 312-unit below-market-rate complex, but it remained a mystery.

In March, City Paper reported LG had a “firm agreement with an anchor tenant” prior to announcing the evictions. And now, according to an announcement last month, it appears that anchor tenant is Whole Foods Market.

In response, a small group of advocates have decided to boycott the grocery store, citing what they see as a disregard for Pittsburgh’s affordable-housing struggles.
...
CP talked to six shoppers at the current East Liberty Whole Foods on Centre Avenue (the grocer has indicated it will not keep both locations), and only half were aware of plans for a new store.

Most cited more parking as a potential benefit of the new store. All said they would shop at the new location when complete, except for one respondent who said she preferred the current location because it was more “Shadyside-y.” Only one of the six was familiar with the Penn Plaza affordable-housing saga. When asked about potential problems with the new location, he said “You know what happened over there was bad,” before indicating that he would still shop at the new store.

...
Construction of the new East Liberty Whole Foods is slated for the first quarter of 2017.

Affordable-housing advocates to boycott Pittsburgh

So it appears that Whole Foods is only moving locations by a few blocks? Why?

I have to admit that as a Republican, I find the whole idea of this fight between high-income liberals (the Whole Foods crowd) and low-income liberals (the affordable housing crowd) to be kind of ironically funny.

I also found the whole idea of "more parking" to be quite humorous as well given the health-consciousness and urban-orientation of many of their patrons, and how close the store is to the Busway and how walkable it is to Shadyside and E Liberty.

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

So it appears that Whole Foods is only moving locations by a few blocks? Why?

I have to admit that as a Republican, I find the whole idea of this fight between high-income liberals (the Whole Foods crowd) and low-income liberals (the affordable housing crowd) to be kind of ironically funny.

I also found the whole idea of "more parking" to be quite humorous as well given the health-consciousness and urban-orientation of many of their patrons, and how close the store is to the Busway and how walkable it is to Shadyside and E Liberty.

Liberals, I've found, tend to support their own interests, or what they believe to be the greater good, as opposed to acting against their own interest to spite people they believe to be beneath themselves. As such, sometimes liberals have divergent interests. This one of those cases.

As far as the parking goes, there's only one Whole Foods in Pittsburgh, so it's not exactly a community grocery store. Now that I live in Shadyside, I walk there, but when I lived in Squirrel Hill, we drove.

[eschaton]

Whole Foods is hardly a "liberal" company, although it shamelessly markets itself to liberals. I have refused to step into any Whole Foods for well over a decade now.

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Whole Foods is hardly a "liberal" company, although it shamelessly markets itself to liberals. I have refused to step into any Whole Foods for well over a decade now.

Whole Foods is a strange company. There are notoriously anti-labor, but give their employees living wages with benefits. I see how you, as a union guy would have problems with them, though.

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

So it appears that Whole Foods is only moving locations by a few blocks? Why?

I have to admit that as a Republican, I find the whole idea of this fight between high-income liberals (the Whole Foods crowd) and low-income liberals (the affordable housing crowd) to be kind of ironically funny.

I also found the whole idea of "more parking" to be quite humorous as well given the health-consciousness and urban-orientation of many of their patrons, and how close the store is to the Busway and how walkable it is to Shadyside and E Liberty.

Have you ever been to the store on any given day? The lot is packed to capacity on most days. Do you think liberal high income shoppers would walk from Fox Chapel or Highland Park? This store serves a broad area and a larger store with more parking was needed since day one. There is nothing funny about the need for affordable housing.

[Moby Hick]

My mind is blown. Somebody has pointed out that one thing he thinks of as liberal is fighting against another thing he thinks of as liberal. Since I'm a liberal and have apparently not seen this same pattern 600 times before, including things where both parties or issues involved are actually liberal, I have been enlightened.

Now I will watch Fox and vote for Trump.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by gladhands

Whole Foods is a strange company. There are notoriously anti-labor, but give their employees living wages with benefits. I see how you, as a union guy would have problems with them, though.

Their founder is an Ayn Rand acolyte who has compared unions to sexually transmitted diseases. The healthcare benefits they give to staff aren't great either - you have to pay the full cost difference between single and family coverage, pay a $2,000 deductible, and mental health coverage is not provided. They were notably opposed to the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Not to mention stances they've taken over the years opposing living wages for farm workers, supporting the development of protected wetlands, or suspending workers for speaking Spanish on the job. And of course actively working to undermine independently-owned natural food stores whenever they can - I mean that's what businesses do, they edge out the competition - but many of those small-time competitors had far less odious beliefs.

Functionally speaking, there's very little difference between Whole Foods and Walmart - except Whole Foods caters to a wealthier clientele. Heck, most corporations are evil - or at least relentlessly self-centered. But Whole Foods in particular just irks me because they put this PR patina of "progressiveness" over their brand which dupes a lot of people into thinking they are some shining beacon, when in fact they are not.

[wpipkins2]

I never saw the allure with Whole Foods. My sister only shops there and I thinks its a waste. It may be that I am old school and shop all over the city. I do shop at my local GE because it is in my neighborhood and black owned and operated. I also shop at Aldi, local farmers markets. and the Strip District.

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by eschaton

suspending workers for speaking Spanish on the job.

How is that legal??

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

So it appears that Whole Foods is only moving locations by a few blocks? Why?

I have to admit that as a Republican, I find the whole idea of this fight between high-income liberals (the Whole Foods crowd) and low-income liberals (the affordable housing crowd) to be kind of ironically funny.

I also found the whole idea of "more parking" to be quite humorous as well given the health-consciousness and urban-orientation of many of their patrons, and how close the store is to the Busway and how walkable it is to Shadyside and E Liberty.

I'm not a Republican but I also get a kick out of the switch of the greenie liberal Democrats becoming the new yuppies. North Side is next. Developers have to be chomping at the bit to close down Northview Heights and the other public housing.