Who are we kidding? K-Mart has not served Eldersburg since Wal-Mart opened in the mid-1990's. It's antiquated shopping model is a dinosaur, the check-out lines out-dated and inefficient, and their products unwanted by consumers. Yet sadly, all 5 people that work there will be without work.
Hopefully, (before the "support the failing businesses" crowd attacks me) Black Oak Associates can kick-start its redevelopment plan into gear, tear down the mall, and put a high-quality (notice I said high quality rather than the ambiguous and meaningless 'quality') shopping destination in its place. And a thriving shopping establishment will employ more than 5 people. So while they may be unemployed for the short-term, a new facility will bring temporary construction jobs, modern and more pleasing shopping center, and hundreds of permanent retail and management positions to the area.
I will say that I'll miss the folks standing on the corner of Route 26 with their big signs on a stick waiving to people to shop at K-Mart before it closes.
1 comment:
I understand where you're coming from, say what you will, but I still feel for those people who are loosing their jobs. Would I want to work there? Nope. But I don't think the people working there were doing it because they wanted to. The times I did go there what I noticed is that a lot of their employees were older folks. I don't think they'll benefit from anything Black Oak ASSociates has planned. I also doubt we're going to see another shopping center there. If I were a betting man my money would be on them building "townhome style condos" like are already there across Ridge Rd. So we'll go from a riff raff magnet shopping area, to riff raff magnet residences.
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