Deep Roots at Golden Gate?
From Amanda Lehmert at the N&R:
The city of Greensboro may kick in $100,000 to help bring Deep Roots Market to downtown.
On Tuesday night, the City Council will consider providing a forgivable loan to pay for part of North Eugene Partners LLC’s planned $1.95 million market for the grocer.
In exchange, Deep Roots must commit to hiring five new full-time employees and the site must continue to be a grocery store for the 20-year term of the loan…
If the loan is approved, Deep Roots will be required to hire the new employees at an average wage of $12.95 an hour with paid medical benefits by March 2013.
Those conditions are absurd. Let’s consider the history. Marty Kotis once built a Taj Mahal for Deep Roots on West Market, only to find they couldn’t afford the lease. The reality is that Deep Roots, even with the city’s help, won’t be able to afford the lease downtown.
However, a modestly-sized grocery store stands empty at Golden Gate Shopping Center. This location is a whole lot closer to downtown than way out Spring Garden, where they are now. At some point, the movers and shakers in Greensboro are going to have to embrace pragmatism to find solutions.
Another reality is the former location of Harris-Teeter is too small for someone like Trader Joe’s, and unless we want another Aldi’s, Deep Roots would be perfect.
I think it is cruel to continue putting our local food co-op in these untenable situations. Somebody needs to grow a brain and offer a practical solution.
I have a hard time wrapping my head around why this project needs $100k from the city. Surely the store can proceed on $1.85MM.
$100K is just a drop in the bucket. They estimated the cost at $1M to move to West Market.
The twenty year term of forgiveness and the $13 average hourly wage are simply laughable. I doubt that the city is even serious, given these strings.
I’m planning a weekend trip to Asheville. It’s going to cost $1500. Please give me $75, or I’m just going to cancel the whole thing…
OR, we just won’t have wine with our dinners….
You obviously don’t understand that overpriced organic produce, vitamins, unctions and candy contribute immeasurably to the quality of life downtown. Such things can’t be measured with money. And then there are all the colorful hacky sack and corn hole enthusiasts who will congregate, smoking high quality illicit herb and quaffing overly-hopped malt and fair trade caffeinated beverages.
Of course, you did mention Asheville, so perhaps you do understand after all.
What the hell is wrong with overly hopped malt????
I bought a bag of frozen broccoli grown in China from deep roots, once…
$1500 in Ashevllle? Where are you staying, the Presidential suite at the Grove Park Inn?
Are you going to catch the opening of “Solstice” here? http://themagneticfield.com/
or would that be Whine?
You aren’t going to shop there unless it’s Thursday night and you’re out of Massey Creek Farm eggs for your morning quiche.
Stephen, I apologize for offending you. I simply prefer lightly-hopped ales. Sometimes, I buy soap at Deep Roots for the contact buzz.
Never trust soap made by a hippy
You’re right, of course. For the last year, we’ve been using soap milled in France for about the same price.