Walgreens eyes new Kenwood location
April 7, 2011 at 7:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
After being turned down in its bid to develop on a vacant lot, the drug store giant now is looking to build on the other side of Arrowhead Road.
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Walgreens eyes new Kenwood location
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Guys whose jobs depend on making the right decision say we do. Whose judgement should I trust: people willing to risk millions of their own dollars or a guy named Schmo?
I’ll get back to you on that.
****** No we dont need another super walgreens.******
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I guess we could close a lot of stores if we only need (or allowed) one of every variety every 10 miles or so. just think of the land we could turn into green space, not to mention take off the tax rolls. There is certainly nothing wrong with green space and while it’s certainly desirable…..we do need businesses to keep our economy going and people employed.
We should welcome new investment in our community as long as zoning rules are followed and are reasonable given the situation. We’re never going to grow and prosper as long as we’re a “nimby” city. As we’ve seen in many communites around the country…..unrestrained rapid growth can be a bad thing….but I don’t think anybody could ever describe Duluth as suffering from unrestrained, rapid and rampant growth.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Have you ever been out of Duluth, and say to Chicago, Tampa, Indianapolis? There are Walgreens, CVS, Chipotle, miles within each other. Do you have the same issue since there are two Holiday gas stations within a block of each other on London Road?
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So, the rich person is always right? I’m not so sure that’s an intelligent way of finding the truth.
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Only in Duluth would people discourage a new business.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Well, Technically it’s not a New Business….it’s an Expansion of one already here to yet another location. But I get your Point and agree with it.
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put up enough red tape and they might not build it in the city – i bet Cleveland or Detroit would be glad to have another one .
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It’s funny, because everyone complains. But that store will probably do 600-700 prescriptions a day. Gotta love the anti-business climate here in Duluth!
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The reason people complain is because we’re all promised “more jobs” and “more growth”, but the only jobs that we’re getting are these minimum wage part-time dead-end jobs. It seems that the wealth is trickling up much faster than it’s trickling down.
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You’re right Merv. Building a Walgreens in Kenwood will some how ELIMINATE jobs from the market.
Are you kidding me? A minimum wage job is better than no job at all! Some people are just looking for ANY job!
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And who’s been doing all that job promising around here for the last 6+ decades, Merv? That’s right! Your beloved DFL! No one should expect to be promised or given a job. Go out and earn it.
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So a local economy is wholly dependant on the federal gov’t, Merv? Why are there locally elected officials then? You’ve seen them. The ones who cry jobs, jobs, jobs! You have a current mayor who publicly stated that he “won’t be chasing smokestacks.” That rules out the good paying jobs associated with industry. All of the above mentioned people are DFL, are they not?
Cintinually blaming Bush for the problems of today is getting old and more irrelevant the longer Obama is in office. But reaching back 30 years to blame someone is rediculous.
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yellowdog, you have just proven how little you actually know about the federal tax code. It’s not like the federal budget just resets every time a new president is elected. It doesn’t work that way. Fact is, the tax code has more or less stayed the same since Reagan’s tax reform act.
Regardless, no, the local economy isn’t wholly dependent of the federal government. There you go putting words into my mouth again. However, I would say that a huge chunk of our local economy is dependent on multinational corporations (chains). As all the manufacturing jobs left the USA in the 70s and 80s, what replaced them? A flood of dead-end, minimum wage jobs at chains like Walgreens.
The fact that you praise companies like Walgreens is upsetting. The fact that you think that the condition of our economy is the state’s fault, and not the fault of the federal government and major corporate interests, is downright ludicrous.
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The federal tax code has remained the same for the last 30 years??? What??? There have been thousands of changes to it since then.
I praised Walgreens? When was that? “There you go putting words into my mouth again.”
Yeah, those evil corporations are all to blame…sure.
You can blame anything and everyone you want for your dead-end, part-time job, Merv. Put on your big boy pants and yank on those bootstraps. Waiting around for a promised job? That’s downright ludicrous.
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Just try to hear me out here…
You need to look at the economy as a whole. Say, Duluth-Superior has 80,000 employable people. Now, say, if Duluth has 20,000 “decent” jobs and 55,000 dead-end jobs available, those employable people need to find work somewhere. However, it’s physically impossible for, say, 40,000 people to find “decent” work if there is only 20,000 decent jobs. The dead-end job has become a staple part of this economy, yellowdog. It is simply impossible for everybody to be a “successful” person in that regard.
Furthermore, Reagan reduced the tax for the highest earners from 70% to 28% during his presidency. Currently the tax rate for those same earners is 35%. So, yes, you’re right… it has changed slightly. However, not anywhere close to where it was before Reagan took office.
Lastly, per your last paragraph, I’m not debating you because I feel like I have personally been wronged, or anything. I have much more going for me than most people my age. I’m only saying that the direction that we’re going in, which you seem to support, will only make it harder and harder for people to find decent work down the road.
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Working families welcome opportunities, we have kids to feed, schools to fill, taxes to pay, commerce to participate in. Who wants and deserves the jobs, working families, students, in fact any human being with the will to better their lives.
It is the ney sayers, those that sit and complain about deserving more and trying to regulate to those results.
You want to break the cycle of poverty you support opportunity, you want more opportunity you use SMART regulation systems not regulations that create barriers to success.
Some Working families are proud to be seated around the dinner table with food, family and love. Most Working families honor this time and place. For many it is about providing for the family, not hording for the future. Not everyone has the desire, the dedication or the ability to have finacial success, yet when those that say they know bette,r block the opportunity from us Working families in their self interest we will call you out.
I know lets hear the common “I” caused the oil spill defense …
I would welcome you to think about any statement that says don’t build it and we grow jobs and opportunities for working families. No I am not including gardens in this question.
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If it bothers the the kenwood people and their feelings of entitlement, I’m all for it. I think they should also build a Chuck E. Cheese, Old Country Buffet and a Big Top liquor depot all on those corners. They could also use a casino up there and a 20 screen movie theater with a wacky, wavy inflatable arm-waving tube man.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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You’re a poet.
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Some of them already do get cars from the county, as well as cell phones and just recently, computers.
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By Jove Dead and Brian….I think you both Nailed It! So will you Both run for City Council???? Oh Puleeeeze?
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Oops…and BSquared Too!!!
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There’s an abundance of welfare people living in Kenwood, really?
Wow, things sure must have changed a lot since I was there last.
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They are from rural north highway 61 from lake county to gary. From the lake to cotton for south st louis county. I guess that’s why we scratch our heads at some of your comments. You are behind the times.
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Yeah, katy apparently lives in her closet.
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I’m getting a kick out of all this. Those who say support the economy and grow jobs must not have read the article. They are going to remove a gas station and apartment complex!!!! It takes people to run those businesses. Oh and lets not forget they already forced a local business out of its building and legacy. Then again it’s hard to compete with a big box store when everyone wants things as cheap as they can get. In reality who knows the right answer to this.
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Tom – They didn’t force anyone out of business! Preston was BOUGHT out! There are plenty of independent pharmacy chains across the country doing just fine with CVS and Walgreen’s in their market. Obviously, Falk’s didn’t get enough business. That’s nobody’s fault but their own. Preston was well taken care of, so don’t give me that BS.
Secondly, how many people does a gas station employ? How many people actually work for the apartment complex? Maybe a manager and a few maintenance people? Walgreen’s may displace a few jobs, but I guarantee this creates more jobs.
And just an FYI, Walgreen’s is not cheaper with everything. Check out the prices sometime…they are actually quite expensive. They get you in the door for the prescriptions, and then get you to buy impulsively. It’s basic business.
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I was wondering what he was referring to squared. It just didn’t strike me he meant falk. There is always concern for displaced tenants for many reasons. People set up housekeeping in a locale because that is there comfort zone for work or school etc.
The steps opinion sums it up. Some profit and others lose. In the end it’s progress.
It gets hard to balance progress against residential need. Regardless walgreens trumps one apartment house and one gas station. This one will be handy for my family so I welcome it.
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I agree ownit…the displaced housing is a concern. It could be easily avoided if the Kenwood residents would just let them build across the street. So, if the apartment residents have a problem with moving, they should have a talk with their neighbors.
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Never understood all the hoopla with the first site being turned down across the street. Most businesses try to be good neighbors and provide decent barriers to residents. Now they will lose a gas station and apartments. Makes me go huh?
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bsquared, many people in DFL Duluth don’t understand basic business. That is the main issue.
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Stay down NIMBYS. You are killing this town. I moved to Duluth a few years ago and I have NEVER in my travels seen such a self destructive NIMBY mentality as exists here in Duluth. Do you want to grow or do you want to cling to your old crumbling buildings and die as a city? Let the Walgreens in if they think they can make money. Who freakin cares about a ratty old gas station and some crumbly apartments.
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As the Tech Village closes for lack of Businesses in their space.
Point is….there Are Options for Business.
Problem is the City of Duluth owns a Bunch of the space in the Tech VIllage. I wonder why they can’t rent it out?
This Walgreens story just Happens to Maybe have Some Nimbyism attached to it. What excuses are there that our City Managers can’t bring New Business here? We are Fortunate to get some Expansion in businesses already here.
Let’s look at the Whole Picture, shall we?
This city has Big Problems….no matter which way we turn. The biggest question I have is why can’t Duluth attract New Business. It Has to have Something to do with the Presentation given to Possible Takers….WHO is doing that Presentation? How Desireable is the Offer being Made to NEW Business.
What happened about the CVS that was coming? The East Coast Sub Shop? It’s kind of like a Job Resume….if you can’t List any Experience it’s tough to get Hired. When we can’t even get a Sub Shop here….well….you figure it out. (not even thinking about jobs and whether they are min wage etc…..we simply need to see SOME kind of CHANGE showing SOME business located here)….to put on our ‘resume’ so to speak). We can’t even do that.
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Its good to see business that employs more than a couple people for min wage. Walgreens employs approx 30 employees per store all at more than min wage which is more than a gas station and an apartment together. For those whining about Falks legacy etc? Falks closed their stores due to a very lucrative deal with Walgreens and still does a great business providing prescriptions to senior living facilities all over the state with far less overhead from keeping all the other junk in stock and building costs. Bring more jobs to the town no matter what they pay, there is people of all ranges that are looking for the work.
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I used to live in that neighborhood in my preteens. If memory serves me right in 1975 there was a gas station on that corner although I don’t remember the name. The Northeast lot where Wells Fargo is used to be a Skelly gas station. The southwest lot has always been vacant (except for all the signs at election time. The Southeast lot where the Holiday is used to be a Texaco Gas Station. Further in at Kenwood shopping center area there was a fast food place called “Duffy’s” where the stand alone Subway shop now sits. In the shopping center itself, the pharmacy where Falks was located used to be called “Boyce Drug”. There used to be a Ace Hardware and a laudromat further down. The Grocery store used to be called “Red Owl”. I don’t recall what the theater was called at the other end.
How’s that for memory lane?
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Wow, you really do have a great memory.
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Duffy burger- a deep fried hamburger in a bun- yum!!!!
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