The Grand Union in Johnson has been closed since April. Photo courtesy of Basement Medicine.
Editor’s note: This article, by Thomas Benton, was first published in the Johnson State College student newspaper, Basement Medicine.
The parking lot of the Johnson Shopping Plaza flooded again in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene on Aug. 28. It would have been a major inconvenience in another time, but that time has come and gone — and the Grand Union along with it.
“Grand Union is not coming back,” said Lea Kilvadyova, community and economic development coordinator for the Town of Johnson. The Grand Union was closed after flooding in late April damaged the store and left most of its goods unusable.
The space once occupied by Grand Union is owned by the Burlington-based firm Pomerleau Real Estate.
“Pomerleau has told us they have strong interest from potential tenants,” Kilvadyova said, adding that the firm hadn’t disclosed the identity of the potential tenants. “They’re looking at grocery stores, drug stores and alternative value stores.”
Johnson State College Academic Support Services Staff Assistant Carolyn D’Luz is leading an effort to attract Burlington-based grocery store City Market to Johnson. D’Luz is a member of the steering committee for the Lamoille River Food Cooperative.
“We’ve been in contact with City Market,” D’Luz said. With members of the Lamoille River Food Cooperative, D’Luz gathered the names of 1,300 local residents, ranging in location from Stowe and Underhill to Hyde Park and Morrisville, who would be interested in shopping at a local City Market store.
“[City Market] is interested in a business plan before they make any commitment,” D’Luz said. Lamoille River co-op has just completed a feasibility study, one of the first steps in creating a business plan. The results of its findings will be publicly presented to the Town of Johnson in September.
“The big question is, ‘is there a need?’” D’Luz said. “City Market hasn’t said no.” It’s a question that needs a quick answer, since D’Luz said Pomerleau Real Estate is anxious to rent out the unoccupied space.
“For any store to move in there [to the unoccupied space], the space would have to be flood-proofed,” D’Luz said. “That’s a very expensive project. We would look into ways to help fund that if it were decided it was necessary.”
If filling the Grand Union’s former physical position were no longer an option, the new store would be established somewhere else within the Johnson town limits.
“We aren’t ready to just set up our own shop,” D’Luz said. That’s why the Lamoille River Food Cooperative is looking to partner with a pre-established business like City Market. “They would help us set up some kind of locally owned store,” D’Luz said.
“We would like a store that meets the income needs of the town and the food supply needs of the people,” Kilvadyova said. Both Kilvadyova and D’Luz are enthusiastic about the need for a locally-owned market.
“Partnering with a store like City Market would marry the traditional with the cooperative,” D’Luz said. “We’re thinking about the future. We’re thinking about food security issues. With a locally-owned market, the store would basically be owned by everyone in the community, rather than by some faraway corporate. Food is becoming extremely expensive. Local food is still expensive, but less so. It’s much more secure. We want to supply people’s food needs, but we also want to educate the store’s customers.”
Although a specific date has not been set, the co-op will present its finding to the Town of Johnson at the end of September. If City Market approves, the next step would be a business plan, which D’Luz estimated would take one to two months to complete.
The wait isn’t easy for Johnson residents.
“It’s crazy,” said JSC student Audrianna Blais. “If there was something you need, you know, last-minute, supplies, food, whatever, you just walked right down the hill and there you go. Now you have to plan for it. You have to pack it in, drive 15 minutes to Morrisville, then drive back. It could take over an hour just to get tea.”
Jeff Beach lives in Eden, 20 minutes outside of Johnson. He still feels the loss of the Grand Union.
“If we needed groceries, it’d still be a drive,” Beach said, “but all we had to do was get ourselves together and drive into Johnson. Now it’s like a road trip. Too bad there isn’t a campsite on the way.”
