Mayor Announces Grocery Store Task Force Members

Deborah Bayliss | As of Tuesday, December 31, 2013

5th Ward Ald., Leslie Hairston, is a member of the Grocery Task Force put in place by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to address the Chicago area Dominick's store closings.
5th Ward Ald., Leslie Hairston, is a member of the Grocery Task Force put in place by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to address the Chicago area Dominick's store closings.

Shortly after announcing a Grocery Store Task Force in response to the 72 Dominick’s store closures throughout Chicago as of Dec. 28, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced last week, the Task Force team's members.

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Steven Koch, Deputy Mayor, City of Chicago

“I have brought together this group of leaders to help address the potential impacts of closing grocery stores on our neighborhoods, residents, and workers," said Mayor Emanuel. “I look forward to reviewing their suggestions and putting their ideas into action, so we may ensure that these community anchors stay economically viable, that worker jobs are protected, and that Chicagoans have access to healthy food.”

Members of the task force include:

·        Steven Koch, Deputy Mayor, City of Chicago

·        Andrew Mooney, Commissioner, Department of Planning and Development, City of Chicago

·        Ald. Leslie Hairston, 5th Ward

·        Ald. Joe Moore, 49th Ward

·        Ald. Patrick O’Connor, 40th Ward

·        Rev., Dr. Janette C. Wilson, attorney and community advocate focusing on education and neighborhood economic development, assistant pastor of Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church and serves as the executive director of Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

·        Jorge Ramirez, President, Chicago Federation of Labor, former executive director of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 1546 which represents the workers at Dominick’s grocery stores in Chicago. 

·        Steve Powell, Secretary Treasurer, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 881, international vice president of the UFCW, which represents thousands of grocery store employees across the Chicago area.

·        Mike Mallon, Principal, DK Mallon, a food industry consulting firm and former vice president at both Jewel/Osco and Dominick’s

·        Joel Bookman, Bookman Associations, a community development consulting firm and former director at LISC Chicago, and executive director of North River Commission

·        Craig Chico, executive director of Back of the Yards Council, which among other endeavors, works with merchants and industrial companies in the Stockyards area.

·        Carlos Nelson, executive director of Auburn Gresham Community Development Corporation.  Nelson has been very instrumental in the redevelopment of the commercial area along 79th St., and has also been involved in the development of the new Wal-Mart that will begin construction in the neighborhood in the spring.

·        Frank Petruziello, the Skilken Company. Petruziello is the major force behind the development of the Shops & Lofts project at 47th and Cottage Grove, a mixed use development that includes a neighborhood Wal-Mart store. 

·        Angel Gutierrez, vice President of Community Development and Outreach Services, Catholic Charities Chicago.  Catholic Charities Chicago currently operates 16 WIC Food and Nutrition Centers in the city and is introducing other innovative ways to bring fresh produce products to underserved areas.

Now in place, the task force will work to ensure smooth transitions of those stores that have been purchased by other grocers and to aggressively market those that are still unaccounted for.

At the Mayor’s direction, the task force will focus on the specific sites with the vacant Dominick’s stores and the associated economic impacts of the closings; ensuring access to fresh food and vegetables in key areas; and protecting and supporting workers who are affected by the store closings.

Specifically, the Task Force will consult with building owners and/or their representatives, gathering local market data, finding and approaching likely prospects in the food industry, and hosting tours/creating marketing materials/engaging brokers as appropriate.

Dominick’s parent company, Safeway, announced in Nov. that it was pulling out of the Chicago area market by the end of the year, Dec. 28.

Safeway so far has announced plans for three of its 13 stores in Chicago, that will be sold to Mariano’s.

In anticipation that one or more stores may not have an immediate operator to succeed Dominick’s, this task force is being created to ensure that these stores are returned to market quickly and efficiently, to the benefit of the communities and the workers.

While finding new owners/operators for the vacant stores is a key priority of the task force, it is not the only priority.

The Task Force will also seek to address food access issues and will focus on specific areas where the closing Dominick’s stores may affect food access for Chicagoans.

Additionally, the Task Force will work with Dominick’s employees and their union representatives to identify job opportunities, training and resources where necessary.

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