The Center on Halsted and the Howard Brown Health Center were among local organizations to receive grants from Walmart Nov. 30, as the national chain unveiled a new location in Lakeview.
The 14,800-square-foot Walmart Express, located at 3636 N. Broadway, is the city's second express location; the first opened in late July in Chatham on the South Side. These two stores mark the first stage of Walmart's plan to open at least eight locations within Chicago city limits.
With minimal publicity and little fanfare, the Lakeview Walmart Express opened quietly at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Walmart executives and local alderman Tom Tunney ( D-44 ) and James Cappleman ( D-46 ) were on hand to welcome shoppers, cut the store's ceremonial red ribbon, and bestow oversized checks to four local organizations as part of Walmart's community outreach initiatives.
The Howard Brown Health Center received a $25,000 grant. CEO Jamal Edwards, who accepted the check, told the Windy City Times he'd work closely with Walmart to determine how best to utilize the grant, which Howard Brown applied for earlier this year.
Center on Halsted CEO Modesto Tico Valle accepted a $12,000 check on behalf of the center. Director of Public Affairs Brian Richardson said the grant will be added to the center's general fund, which supports programming.
Two additional checks were given to the Lakeview Presbyterian Church ( $11,000 ) and the Open Arms Church ( $1,000 ) .
Lakeview's Walmart Express, located next door to a Walgreens and half a block from Jewel Osco, will sell groceries, produce, office supplies and health items. The goal is to offer competitive prices on already accessible items.
"We believe that helping residents of Lakeview save money and live better… is very important to the community," Market Manager Jack Williams said. "We'll do everything we can to make sure the store reflects the community."
Walmart partnered with the Center on Halsted, Lakeview Presbyterian Church, Open Arms Church, the Northside Workforce Center and the Cara Program to cultivate a staff the reflects the community.
Williams said that 49 new jobs were created, and 75 percent of these were filled by Lakeview residents. Additionally, several of the new employees are transgender.
While some welcomed the new location, many residents weren't as happy. Earlier this summer, the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce issued a blog post saying Walmart's "business practices and ethics in which they operate [ lead ] to a negative impact on small businesses and an entire community."
A handful of community members gathered outside the store Wednesday morning to protest its opening. Members of Chicago Neighborhoods First, a coalition of community, labor and small business interests, distributed a recent Wall Street Journal article titled "Wal-Mart trims health care coverage for some."
The Oct. 21, 2011 article detailed Walmart's decision to stop providing healthcare coverage to part-time employees, while dramatically increasing costs for full-time staff. Some staffers, the article said, will see healthcare prices double as benefits decline.
"With Walmart being a leader in the industry, and retail being the largest job creator right now," Chicago Neighborhoods First member Janel Bailey said, "they're really setting the tone for what kind of jobs are going to be available in Chicago."
Less than a dozen protestors made it to the store opening, a fact that Bailey attributes to Walmart's perceived secrecy about its debut. There was very little press leading up to the Wednesday morning event, and Walmart employees remained tight-lipped with details.
"Why do you think they had an opening at 7 a.m.? They know the community's not up at 7 a.m.," Bailey said. "And why do you think they didn't advertise the date that they were opening until several days ago? I think stuff like that is pretty telltale."
Bailey said Chicago Neighborhoods First will continue to monitor the store's progress and push to hold it accountable.
"They hired 75 percent of the people locally, and I hope they stick to that because I know they have a 40 percent turnover rate," Bailey said. "I hope when I come back six months from now, it's still 75 percent local."
Despite complaints, Ald. Cappleman expressed excitement about his district's newest addition.
"Anything in Chicago is going to be controversial, and this is controversial—make no mistake," Cappleman said. " [ But ] it's vital for the city of Chicago and for this neighborhood to do everything we can to bring jobs into this area to support this economy. [ Ald. Tunney and I ] agree that we also need to do everything we can to increase tax revenue."
Cappleman said the store will bring more foot traffic to the area, which can help other businesses.
Walmart is slated to open a second, larger Lakeview location at the intersection of Broadway and Surf Streets in spring 2012. Other stores are scheduled to open sometime next year in West Englewood, West Chatham and River North.
