Press Release: Occupy St. John’s Rallies Community to Protect Local, Independent Businesses

***UPDATE:

Join in the rally today at 3PM at 8157 N Lombard Street in North Portland to protect local, independent business from being swallowed up by corporate, job-killing behemoths like 7-Eleven.

Print these flyers and hand them out -

7against711 7 REASONS TO STOP 7-ELEVEN
occupystjohnscards OCCUPY ST JOHNS INVITE CARDS

***

1/11/2012
For Immediate Release
St. John’s neighbors organize to stop new 7-Eleven on Lombard
Over 1600 people sign petition to city planner and lot owner

Contact:
Lataya Dailey
Occupy St. Johns member
(971)409-3741

Contact:
Kevin Lee
Owner, St John’s Deli and Grocer
(503)332-4763

Portland, OR—January 11th 2012—Hundreds of people in and near the St. Johns neighborhood have signed a petition opposing a proposed 7-Eleven convenience store at 8157 N Lombard Street in North Portland.

The store would be the third 7-Eleven in St. Johns; current 7-Eleven stores are just nine blocks and eleven blocks from the site. The proposed site is also two blocks from St. Johns Deli and Grocery, a locally owned business, which opened its doors in 1979. “I have ten employees at my store,” says Kevin Lee, owner St John’s Deli and Grocery. “If 7-Eleven goes up there I would have to cut my employee’ hours.”

Organizers from Occupy St. Johns circulated the petition to stop 7 Eleven from building their third store. They are concerned about increased crime, increased traffic, and the effect on St. Johns Deli and Grocery. Concerns that have grown after a shooting at a current 7 Eleven on Sunday. Lataya Dailey, a St Johns resident and active member of Occupy St. Johns, is one of several community members that has been gathering signatures for weeks. “ My neighbors and myself want to ensure that our children have a strong community to grow up in. We have a surplus of convenience stores and a shortage of recreational indoor space. Many of us are trying to find alternatives to 7 Eleven that will provide a place for our children to play or families to gather, We just had another shooting at 7 Eleven not far from my house. The increased crime risk is real ” says Dailey, the mother of two small children.

The St. John’s Neighborhood Association met on December 14  to discuss residents concerns. 7-Eleven set representative, Tom Noble, to answered questions. However those in attendance were disappointed that the developer, MAJ Development Corporation, was not present at the meeting. Noble and MAJ Development did not return neighbor’s attempts to contact them by phone and email after that neighborhood association meeting.

Dailey and other neighbors plan to protest at the purposed location for 7 Eleven at 3pm on Friday January 13th in hopes to draw attention to what many in the area consider to be an example of the profit over people mentality. Neighbors have sent a letter to the owner of the lot where 7 Eleven plans to build along with a copy of the petition in attempts to move the owner to consider other options for the space. After no response from the lot’s owner and no information given about the lot’s price from the Relator, hopes to find a different business to compete with 7 Eleven looks doubtful.  Residents in St. Johns plan to fight 7 Eleven’s liquor license, or in the good neighbor agreement, try to put some restrictions on the kind of liquor they sell.

“We will join with those in the Vernon neighborhood who also oppose the 7 Eleven takeover.” says Dailey.

 

This entry was posted on January 13, 2012 at 10:25 am and is filed under Media, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.