GONE WITH A QUICKNESS

WAS IT CRIME? SHOPPING ONLINE? WHO KNOWS WHY WAL-MART BAILED?

Enrique Cardiel, the executive director of the nonprofit Health Equity Council, is as exasperated as anyone else. Why? Because the Wal-Mart at San Mateo and Zuni just up and left a few days ago. “There’s so many levels of impact [to this]. Because of WalMart, so many small businesses closed, including other grocery stores. So, a lot of people are going to lose access to groceries and others to their banking. That’s where they cashed checks. They’re going to end up needing to go to predatory check-cashing places instead.”

According to the Journal, a Wal-Mart rep said the store was “underperforming,” while others blamed shoplifting. Still others speculated Wal-Mart’s going the Amazon.com route, funneling shoppers to online purchasing.

Regardless, Cardiel and other activists are scrambling: the ID needs to replace the supermarket ASAP because the hood already suffers being a food desert. He’s also concerned about “people having to manage their diabetes or high blood pressure having a hard time accessing a pharmacy.” Cardiel met with Representative Janelle Anyanonu, part of a squad of city and state politicians moving to purchase the store and lot, which City Councilor Pat Davis commented on. “[There’s] an opportunity to lure a new chain—or better, someone local—to be the anchor provider for fresh, quality food every working family needs. I have begun working with Commissioner Adriann Barboa, Mayor Keller, and our legislators to find sources of funding to purchase the site or at least incentives [for] the kind of development the community deserves.”