Spelman College Glee Club coming to Chicago this weekend

I just wanted to show some love to the women of the Chicago chapter of Spelman College alumni. The Spelman College Glee Club is coming to the Chicago area this weekend. Never fear if you cant make it to Winnetka, perhaps you can go to St. Benedict the African Parish at 66th & Stewart in Englewood on Sunday March 19, 2023 at 3 PM. There are no tickets required, however, if you can donate it would help the Glee Club's tour expenses.

Now when is the Morehouse College Glee Club going to be back in town. It's about time for them.

Whole Foods Market Englewood closing date set

 While this is a bit out of the scope of this blog, this is something that I covered often over at The Sixth Ward. From the time it was announced to the time it opened at 63rd & Halsted Streets, and now we know when Whole Foods Market Englewood will be closing.

According to Block Club Chicago it will be on November 13, 2022. From the time it was announced in the fall of 2013 it was heralded as an oasis in the food desert in Englewood to develop part of the old commercial district. One developer gave his take:

Leon Walker, the managing partner of DL3 Realty, which spearheaded the $20 million Englewood Square development, said in May the store was a success in encouraging other businesses to commit to the square, but it couldn’t perfect the “science of grocery” to create a store well-received with local customers.

Well there goes my own fantasy of seeing Whole Foods open a store in the Pullman/Roseland communities. Although Whole Foods does have a distribution facility on 111th Street near the Calumet err Bishop Ford Expressway.

Never been there? Well Devodare_Chicago on YouTube got you! [VIDEO]

 

Capitol Fax: Let’s be careful out there #twill

Actually I wrote about this today at The Sixth Ward. You might have seen this on the news Sunday. I share this post from Capitol Fax regarding this shooting in the 15th Ward. A man doing some campaign canvassing got shot by some thugs who didn't recognize him. Rich Miller writes about this on his blog today.

Let’s be careful out there https://t.co/SN7O0nT9Pz

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) December 11, 2018

So let's all be careful out there. Campaigning or not and let's keep politics out of it. Politics already gets a bad rap especially out of Chicago no need to inject thuggish foolishness such as bullets into this.

BTW, want to see the story from ABC 7? [VIDEO]

Curbed Chicago: Englewood residents organize to take back their block

Via @buyblackeconomics

Over at The Sixth Ward we've discussed the "dreaded G word" especially as it pertained to the now open Whole Foods Market in Englewood. I always figured that the activists of Englewood - I'm mainly referring to the Resident Association of Greater Englewood - would find a way to stop gentrification.

If there was a fear that long-time small businesses or long-time low-income residents could eventually be displaced by long term economic redevelopment then perhaps Englewood residents who "buy the block" will change the direction of redevelopment. For many the Whole Foods store would likely be the beginning of this, but then if I recall the history there were some Englewood residents who fantasized about Whole Foods coming in and they did.

As you see in this article below buying the block is about buying up residential properties. Check it out below from Curbed Chicago.

Englewood residents organize to take back their block https://t.co/yJgcs9KsBA pic.twitter.com/M7wjJjoR3S

— Curbed Chicago (@curbedchicago) July 23, 2018

If you bought a whole city block or a vacant lot, what would you like to do with it?

A new high school coming to Roseland?

While this DNA Info article mostly concerns the possibility of a new high school in Englewood, it's noted that Chinatown and Roseland are also in the running for a new high school. A few considerations from the article worth noting.

To start location. Where is the land available for a new high school? Of course there are areas where it's possible to build a new school especially with foreclosed homes.

And then what schools would close. Speaking of Englewood, it's unclear if this means an elementary school would close or a high school. Although one candidate for closure would be Robeson High School which is noted for having their issues especially academically.

In the Roseland area there are already Corliss on east 103rd Street & Cottage Grove and then Julian directly west on 103rd & Vincennes. Also there is Fenger at 11220 S Wallace St and then there's Gwendolyn Brooks on 115th & King Drive. If any of those schools have to go which one might that be.

And then one more thing worth noting, what does this new school have to offer that the others don't already. Gwendolyn Brooks is a college prep academy. Harlan has a magnet engineering program and I can't speak for Julian, Corliss and Fenger. 

Whether or not we're talking Chinatown, Englewood or Roseland this school should offer programs of interest for the students. We can't just talk about another neighborhood high school to be built. If CPS is interested in building a new school in any area, what should be invested in it to make it worthwhile?

Chicago Tonight: Whole Foods Brings Economic Development, Lower Prices to Englewood

Cross-posted from The Sixth Ward

Chicago Tonight did a story about the new Whole Foods Market Englewood that opened on Wednesday. Since this development was announced in 2013, there were plans to keep prices down at this store. It appears that they've kept their promise:

“Definitely there are lower prices here and some very reasonable prices. For an example, whole milk is $1.99 a gallon here, and it’s roughly $4 a gallon in our other locations,” said Michael Bashaw, regional president of Whole Foods. “I think you can go all through the store and look at commodity, day-to-day items that you need to feed your family, and you’ll find those good values.

“We are passing on the benefit of being here in Englewood … the rents are cheaper here, and so our operating costs are lower and that allowed us to have lower retails.”

The dreaded "G" word has come up in this excitement and it appears from this quote from Andrea Natay of RAGE that it's not a concern, “Whole Foods coming into the community does not equal gentrification. Whole Foods coming into the community equals great change. A great, positive change, at that.”

Also consider the fact that 63rd & Halsted had once been an important commercial hub as stated on Chicago Tonight which went into decline during the 1960s and 1970s. We see a fall and now a rebirth.

Speaking of that, it's funny how before 2013 another member of RAGE - in fact the founder - was on WCIU calling for a Whole Foods in Englewood and then guess what it happens. If only I could find that video and preserve it as it had been posted here but is no longer available online. A self-fulfilling prophecy?

Disclaimer: One of the bloggers at The Sixth Ward is a Whole Foods Market team member.

VIDEO: Whole Foods Englewood and Starbucks Grand Opening

Cross-posted at The Sixth Ward

[VIDEO] JP Paulus was at the grand opening of the new Whole Foods Market Englewood on Wednesday morning. Hopefully he'll be ready to share his thoughts on this historic and exciting occasion at the intersection of 63rd & Halsted.

There are a few shots shared on ig regarding the grand opening provided by this blogger. Unfortunately I didn't get there in time for the grand opening and arrived just as the rain got heavier.

In the meanwhile, artistmac was there to shoot 33 minutes of video of the grand opening. He did this previous with the opening of Walmart stores in West Chatham and Pullman also. He was also there for the ground breaking at Englewood Square which took place in 2014.

Anyone else visited the store on the first day? How was your experience on the first day? Will the Englewood shop be your store in the future?

DISCLOSURE: One of the bloggers here at The Sixth Ward is a Whole Foods Market team member.