I need a washer and dryer but I am not going to get them at Lowe’s. Since Lowe's insists on building outside the Urban Development Boundary, even though they have about 12 acres within the line, they aren’t getting my money anymore. On to Home Depot (not so fast, a comment has me rethinking Home Depot as well). (Hit on image to enlarge it).
17 comments:
I still have issues with Home Depot after all that bullying in Coconut Grove.
Perhaps , G.O.D., you might consider supporting a local appliance store?
Or barring that idea, check out BJs and Costco or SnearsMoBuck.
Good point...I will do as you suggest.
all that bullying in coconut grove? more like all the histerya abou the world ending...so much drama.
the grove store is up and running, its clean, its efficient and traffic has barely been impacted.
i dont care where you buy your appliances, but at least home depot built inside the udb..if a few neighbors against everything got upset, so be it. Congrats to thsoe who elected Sarnoff ont he strength of the home depot fights. You sure got yourself a winner there...
Its a shame people keep running to any of the big box stores. That is why the local businesses ran dry, closed up and our residents are now working for the big execs up north.
They don't care about our UDB, only how much money we can send out of the South Florida economy.
new shmew! support your local recyler aka used appliance store - i bought a 50.00 dryer that lasted me 11 years and could still be going strong as it stayed behind when I sold that house in 2003 - after Wilma destroyed our house in the keys, all appl were bought at one of the local appl stores in Marathon and NOT the Home Depot - the service you get buying thru an appliance vendor vs buying thru Brandsmart ( quelle horror! ) or HD etc..can't compare.
We are all already supporting the Big Boxes well enough with our taxes.
Genius, you're a former legislator, so tell me if I'm wrong. Is it or is it not true that in most locales, big barn stores are given tens of millions of dollars in tax abatements and direct subsidies to destroy local businesses and the fabric of the community with stores and parking lots that are big enough to have their own zip codes?
That's great- you, a local businessman, are forced to subsidize your own destruction through your taxes.
Buy from a local store or from an E-Bay seller, which is at least a small, non-subsidized business.
Duh, I am not a former legislator. We did have a guest blogger who was a former legislator once, but it wasn't me. But you are right, they built this big development (mixed use) in an old derelict yard in mid-city where they stored containers from ships...the place is built now and it is floundering, all the stores shut down but the developer got some sweetheart deal on tax abatements and such.
Actually, 5 Guys Burgers at Mid-Town rocks. But aside from that, the place is a ghost town.
I'm going to unlock the code about Lowes.
They bought the 30 Acre "Parcel B" in 2003 for $1.6 million.
Now the estimated sales price to a charter school, or whoever, is between $6-8 million.
Not a bad little profit, huh?
Just moving the line quadrupled the value of 30 acres of wetland that would require $45,000 per acre in mitigation payments and another $30,000 per acre to de-muck.
Now think of what moving the line to include 30 acres of dry land would fetch?
It was a straight up moneymaker for Lowes whether or not they ever build a store there or not.
They will make at least $25 million if they sell all the parcels and never build a store.
m
THANKS M...
boycott lowes
I say boycott all big box stores, especially the Costcos and BJs, if for no other reason the excessive waste they pass on to the consumer. The amount of packaging used on the products they sell is enough to qualify for their own landfill. A dozen apples for 7.99 is fine and dandy, but the non-recyclable plastic cradling them is unacceptable in this day and age. And that's just one example of over-packaged goods among thousands, multiplied by hundreds of stores, and millions of consumers! OMG!
I shudder at the reality of the situation. I do believe in grass roots action. I wish there were more of it among our socially and environmentally conscious citizens. Unfortunately, we know the facts, but perhaps our overwhelming apathy is fueled by defeatism in the shadow of the big box behemoths.
No it is more: If I can get a bargain, integrity be damned.
Will never understand small business owners supporting chambers of commerce. Sure the chambers hold a chili cook-off and give small businesses some press while they court big boxes that put they out of business.
Some Mom and Pops offer deals as good as the boxes. Boxes have the advantage of huge inventories, offering from soup to nuts. But the price we pay in things like moving the UDB for a big box just arn't worth it.
It's because of the subsidies that you see big box "power centers" built withing 2 miles of each other... they are assuming no business risk building so much excess plant.
As for chambers of commerce supporting these things, I have never understood the purpose of these entities. They do not lobby effectively for the things that their business-owner members really need, like better local policing, nor do they protect them against predatory commercial landlords that triple their rent upon lease expiration, or for lower sales taxes.
Why pay dues for an organization whose only imrovements are to hang banners from street lamps and lobby for big boxes?
Adding to "m"
The Lowes issue, while dangling the "school" to distract from the real purpose, was also about outparcels.
The covenant submitted by the developer included stuff about "other buildings." Commissioner Gimenez brought that up, but the discussion was muted. The Lowes could have been built years ago on the property they own inside the line, but there wasn't enough profit in it. They wanted to anchor the store and surround it with other shopping. Why else would they be willing to build a 4-lane road and a bridge over Tamiami Trail?
Also remember the school will be WEST of the store so mothers have to drive 15 miles an hour twice a day past the store with plenty of time to think about what they need at Lowe's. Best Marketing they could have thought up.
And once there are schools, do you think there will be demand for more housing? Duh.
Post a Comment