WYPR: Shoppers Excited for New Target Store (2008-07-23)

While some neighborhoods struggle to keep small businesses, others struggle to keep big ones. National chain stores are still a rarity in Baltimore City. But as WYPR's Bob Costantini reports, last night, a simple store opening was hailed as a major event for people wanting to simply shop:

A PLASTIC RIBBON WITH A TARGET SYMBOL ON IT! AND NO SOONER IS IT CUT THAN CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT STEPHANIE RAWLINGS BLAKE LOOKS OVER SOME METALLIC PURSES.

AVERAGE CITIZEN, LENORA WILSON, WHO LIVES WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE, IS HERE TOO

(Wilson)- And I'm pleased and happy that we have such a popular store, a well known store in our neighborhood now.
(Bob) Before ?
(Wilson) Well, before I did not frequent the mall often because basically there was really nothing over here to shop at.

BALTIMORE MAYOR SHEILA DIXON WAS AT THE CENTER OF THE CEREMONIAL OPENING OF THE TARGET STORE AT MONDAWMIN MALL. OVER A YEAR AGO, MALL OWNER, GENERAL GROWTH PROPERTIES, LAUNCHED WHOLESALE RENOVATIONS TO MAKE THE ONCE-DRAB SPACE MORE INVITING.

AND THE MAYOR INVITED THOSE SHE SAID WERE THE REAL STARS OF THE EVENT TO TAKE THEIR BOWS:

(applause) these are your community leaders that worked tirelessly to make sure, one, that jobs went to people who live in this community

TAX INCENTIVES, HELPED ALONG BY THE BALTIMORE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WERE PART OF A DEAL THAT REQUIRED MOST NEW WORKERS INVOLVED IN THE MALL EXPANSION TO BE CITY RESIDENTS.

TAMIKA CHAPMAN LIVES ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AWAY AND IS NOW WORKING AT THE TARGET. NOT LOST ON HER IS HOW FEW, NAME BRAND PLACES THERE WERE TO SHOP FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NEARBY PEOPLE:

And it's like a lot of people right now are in a depression and the economics is not too good for people. And, you usually have to go far out to go out to a place like Target. But I think it's saying to the community, Hey, we care about you!'

SOME FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE APPLIED FOR THE TARGET JOBS. TWO-HUNDRED, FIFTY WERE HIRED, 95 PERCENT OF THEM CITY RESIDENTS, ACCORDING TO TARGET OFFICIALS.

ON AVERAGE, THEY'LL EARN ABOUT EIGHT DOLLARS AN HOUR. OF COURSE, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY A REPLACEMENT FOR HIGHER-PAYING MANUFACTURING JOBS BALTIMORE CITY HAS LOST, BUT IT BRINGS SOMETHING TO THE MONDAWMIN MALL AREA, WHERE A HOST OF STRESSED AND STABLE NEIGHBORHOODS BLEND,,,REPRESENTED BY CITY COUNCILWOMAN BELINDA CONAWAY:

We had a job fair for the construction jobs, as well, before the stores came; and we had a grat turnout. So what that says to me is people want to work. Given the opportunity they will come out; they will apply for the jobs because they do want to work.

OPENING SUCH A STORE WOULD BARELY MAKE A BLIP IN THE SUBURBS.

THAT'S WHERE NIKIA GREENE USED TO WORK FOR TARGET. THE BALTIMORE NATIVE IS AN EXECUTIVE WHO MOVED FROM THE NEARBY OWINGS MILLS STORE:

When the offer was presented to me, I was ecstatic because of the opportunity we have to come into this community to make a difference.

IT MAY NOT BE THE MOST AFFLUENT, BUT AN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS, WAS ENOUGH TO DRAW THE NATIONAL CHAIN TO MONDAWMIN.

I'M BOB COSTANTINI, REPORTING FROM NORTHWEST BALTIMORE, FOR 88.1, WYPR.