Tulsa World: Great news

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Great news
New grocery store planned

By World's Editorial Writers
Published: 11/18/2009 2:22 AM
Last Modified: 11/18/2009 4:58 AM

Many thanks to that determined group of city leaders and advocates who have succeeded after years of effort in securing a grocery store for north Tulsa.

Antonio Perez, a local businessman who already operates four stores that cater to the Hispanic community, plans to open the Gateway Market by mid-January in the vacant Albertsons store at Pine Street and Peoria Avenue.

Perez said his new market will have all the features traditional grocery stores have, including a deli, meat and fish counter and bakery. A bank and possibly a pharmacy also are on the drawing board.

The long-awaited news of a grocery store in north Tulsa would not have become a reality were it not for the persistence of a handful of Tulsans who would not give up.

Throughout the 1990s, city and development officials labored to entice a grocery store to the area, and were finally successful when the Albertsons chain agreed to open a store at the site. It opened in 2003.

It closed, however, four years later, and since then other Albertsons stores have been sold to other operators.

After taking office, Mayor Kathy Taylor formed a group whose mission was to find an operator for the vacant grocery store.

Casey Stowe, volunteer chairman of the Tulsa Economic Development Corp., said the group almost had a deal with another operator, but that deal fell through because of a personal issue with the grocer.

Stowe, a local banker, said the group members feel like they've found a good fit with Perez. As a local operator, he has a proven track record and an incentive to make the new project work. He also knows the community in ways an outside operator wouldn't.

A new grocery store for the area is more than just a store. The supermarket likely will serve as a magnet for development and will help stabilize the area. The new market also could help spur improved eating habits and other healthy activities. Research shows people who live miles from a full-service grocery tend to have poorer diets.

City Councilor Jack Henderson also is due some credit for helping to secure $2.2 million in Community Development Block Grants for the project. The money will help Perez acquire the property and needed inventory. Henderson also wants to form an advisory committee to help address issues as they arise.

"We want this to be a success story," Henderson said.

We do too. All the elements appear to be in place, so signs are good the project will succeed. This project demonstrates that hard work, persistence and cooperation can pay off. By World's Editorial Writers

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	Report Comment Webmeister, Tulsa (11/18/2009 5:40:45 AM) Albertson's gave up because they gave too many discounts to patrons....the Five Finger discount.
	Report Comment Loki, Broken Arrow (11/18/2009 6:24:53 AM) Webmeister: Would that explain the disappearance of Albertsons from south Tulsa and the suburbs? I'm not sure someone could accidentally make a remark as racist as that. Most black people are criminals? Most Asian people are excellent students? Most Mexicans will do work lazy White people won't do? Did I leave one out?
	Report Comment Dr. Strangelove, Tulsa (11/18/2009 6:41:00 AM) Kathy Taylor actually said on TV the other night that this was the one thing left to check off her list and that she was going to start shopping there. chirp chirp
	Report Comment droopy, wagoner (11/18/2009 7:29:32 AM) After working for a company for years that had several stores in that area, I wish Gateway lots of luck.
	Report Comment my view, Sand Springs (11/18/2009 8:22:08 AM) It's good news for North Tulsa and should help area business. At the same time north Tulsans can help to insure success by reporting shoplifers if seen. It's not snitching to protect your community.
	Report Comment OUJeepster, (11/18/2009 9:55:39 AM) Amen, sr71v3. I wonder how much they'll absorb in theft losses, how many times the bank inside the store will be robbed, or how many will die in drive-by shootings in front of the store before it shuts down. If the north Tulsa bunch wants to erase perceptions and stereotypes, they need to step up and DO something about it themselves, instead of calling everyone else racist (paying attention, Jack Henderson?) and blaming their problems on everyone else.
	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (11/18/2009 10:32:51 AM) I believe you people would rather see people fail then succeed. No wonder our youth are going the wrong direction. They are no doubt hearing the message there's no hope for you. You are going to fail.
	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (11/18/2009 10:40:01 AM) There is no such thing as North Tulsa has to do it themselves. It takes the whole city working together. There are a LOT of good hard working people in North Tulsa who deserve to have a grocery store in their area.
	Report Comment merlin, Broken Arrow (11/18/2009 11:09:54 AM) Thunder196....I mostly agree with your comment. Except for the "deserve to have". As I understand it, We are offered "life, liberty, and the PURSUIT , not the promise of. North Tulsans can improve that area anytime they so choose. Many of them ARE hard-working and want better. But many of them ALSO know just who and where some of the "bad guys" are, and could make a call to TPD, without giving any personal info. The rest of Tulsa cannot help that area, unless and until the residents are willing and able to make a stand on their own. I will give this store 2 years at the outside, before they discover what other store have. Evidently, not enough local residents care enough to make the difference. I worked in that area for 5 years. Saw lots of bars on windows, and security screen doors. But not very many Neighborhood Watch signs. It's like that country song. "you gotta stand for something, or you'll fall for anything". You cannot MAKE a difference, unless you are willing to BE the difference. Just my 2 cents worth.
	Report Comment merlin, Broken Arrow (11/18/2009 11:16:47 AM) Thunder196....I mostly agree with your comment. Except for the "deserve to have". As I understand it, We are offered "life, liberty, and the PURSUIT , not the promise of. North Tulsans can improve that area anytime they so choose. Many of them ARE hard-working and want better. But many of them ALSO know just who and where some of the "bad guys" are, and could make a call to TPD, without giving any personal info. The rest of Tulsa cannot help that area, unless and until the residents are willing and able to make a stand on their own. I will give this store 2 years at the outside, before they discover what other stores have. Evidently, not enough local residents care enough to make the difference. I worked in that area for 5 years. Saw lots of bars on windows, and security screen doors. But not very many Neighborhood Watch signs. It's like that country song. "you gotta stand for something, or you'll fall for anything". You cannot MAKE a difference, unless you are willing to BE the difference. Just my 2 cents worth.
	Report Comment Webmeister, Tulsa (11/18/2009 11:17:35 AM) There are many good, hard working people in North Tulsa who deserve to have and would support a grocery store in their area. One would think that a large, modern grocery store in north Tulsa would be a huge success. Wonder what the problem has been in keeping one there? Crickets.........
	Report Comment Webmeister, Tulsa (11/18/2009 11:20:26 AM) Loki: The Albertson's store in north Tulsa closed BEFORE their stores in south Tulsa were re-branded as Food Pyramid.
	Report Comment Loki, Broken Arrow (11/18/2009 3:02:59 PM) In June 2007, Albertsons announced it was leaving the Oklahoma market. 23 stores were to be sold. The stores in North Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Owasso, and Midwest City were closed and not sold. The unsold stores were closed before the sale of the other stores were finalized. I don't know what conclusion to draw from this.
	Report Comment Corvetteguy, Tulsa (11/18/2009 3:07:25 PM) The late founder, Joe Albertson died in January 1993 at the age of 86. Afterwards,....his family set in motion the steps taken by the board to liquidate, and shut down......

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