Results tagged “bigbox”

       

The Center for an Urban Future has followed up last year's hit "Attack of the Chains" study with a terrifying new sequel: "Return of the Chains." [pdf] They're back, their power is growing, and not even the recession can stop them from ultimately setting up shop inside your skull. Since last year's report about national retailers' footprints across our increasingly homogeneous city, over 30 percent of the chain retailers have expanded their presence. Dunkin' Donuts tops the list for the second straight year, with 429 locations city-wide, despite losing 12 of its stores to the Tim Horton’s invasion and facing blatant NYPD pilfering. According to the report, Dunkin' added 88 new stores in the five boroughs since July 2008.

The same disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s is spreading with an “explosive” rate of infection through Northeast tomato farms. Called "late blight" disease, the fungus causes white-mold-encircled gray spots on leaves, blackened stems, wilting and death. Organically grown crops are particularly vulnerable, and some farmers in Rhode Island have plowed tomato fields under at the first sign of blight. Vegetable pathologist Meg McGrath tells Newsday why everyone should probably be hoarding tomatoes: "People need to realize this is probably one of the worst diseases we have in the vegetable world." Yikes, this makes last year's Salmonella tomato scare seem like a leisurely Bloody Mary brunch!

Coney Island land baron and would-be developer Joe Sitt has been fighting, with the help of City Council ally Domenic Recchia Jr., to get the city to change its proposed rezoning plan and expand the potential retail space from 2,500 square feet to 10,000 square feet. Opponents have predicted a Coney Island clogged with generic chains if Sitt gets his way, and now Brownstoner has a scoop proving they were right to fear the worst:

There's good news and there's bad news. Good news: Wal-Mart won't be moving to Union Square. Bad news: They're still eyeing Manhattan. (If you're a big box supporter, adjust accordingly.) The NY Post that "The company's real-estate scouts have also been roaming the area around 620 Sixth Ave" (which Curbed points out is part of "the Ladies' Mile building with T.J. Maxx and Bed, Bath & Beyond"). We asked Reverend Billy, who recently announced he's running for Mayor under the Green Party, what he would do to stop this madness:

Wal-Mart tries to come here—well it's a good thing for New Yorkers because we're waking up in a city that's been asleep and soon we'll all be awake and Bentonville will never know what hit it. We need Wal-Mart to keep the knives of our conscience sharp. Wal-Mart is a war-mongering company—we call them WAR-Mart, since for election after election they showered Bush with money. They were the biggest donor to Republicans through several election cycles. Their union-busting is famous, of course—the red phone in the middle of the store that workers are supposed to pick up and spy on any possible organizing. Come on, Wal-Mart in New York City? DEVIL GET THEE BEHIND ME! As Mayor, I will take that company to the LAKE OF HELLFIRE!

"Everyone is super excited about the Target." Everyone! Or at least real estate players like Jessica Armstead of the Corcoran Group, who predicts that the Target store finally coming to fruition in East Harlem will “totally change” the area’s lagging pace of gentrification. "It appeals to everyone," she tells the Sun. "You go in to get toothpaste and come out with three bags. It's amazing." Armstead is already luring condo buyers into East Harlem with the amazing, exciting shopping utopia to arrive any year now.