Wegman's Owings Mills- baltimore- why the controversy?

amother

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 7:19 am

(Couldn't think of a more appropriate location for my question for other baltimore people).

Background info: For those of you who don't know, there is an old Solo Cup factory on Reisterstown Road. It closed down within the past year or so. It's on Reisterstown Road, just before Painter's Mill Road (the turn off to BJ's Wholesale Club).

A developer wants to make a shopping center there, called Foundry Road. It will have office space, a gym, some stores and a WEGMAN'S grocery store.

In addition, there are two more projects underway/in planning right now in that area: one Owings Mills Metro Center on Painter's Mill Road. This is at the location of the OM subway station and will have a combination of office, retail, a branch of CCBC and the largest branch of the public library.

The other project going on right now is the redevelopment of the lousy owings mills mall. the whole place is being torn down (with the exception of the still functioning department stores) and it will be redeveloped similar to the Hunt Valley Town Center.

Okay....so did you see the Advertiser this week? Page 3 was a huge ad "vote no against Wegman's." My husband and I were trying to figure out who's behind this ad. Also, really, the arguments didn't make any sense.

Anyone know who is behind this ad? My husband was wondering if it's the management from 7MM-- they would (maybe) stand to lose if there is a Wegman's nearby.

Here are the arguments presented in the ad:

1) Will bring increased traffic to the area

My answer: I don't think so. there is already a lot of traffic in that area, and these projects are meant to attract local residents (who are in the area anyway) and local employees (ie- people who live elsewhere but work in Owings Mills. Some large companies that employ people in OM include:

Automatic Data Processing (ADP)
AON
Baltimore Life
CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield
Farmer’s Insurance
Global Payments
Progressive Insurance
T. Rowe Price
Toyota Financial Services
(I got this from a different website).

Apparently, from one of the articles in the Sun, the developer wants to build an road from the back of this shopping center. That makes sense, because the developer wants people to access it easily. In the ad in the advertiser, it says, "When did you ever hear of a real estate developer paying for state roads?' I don't think that these classify as "state roads"-- they're local roads, and yes, there is a difference.

The ad also says, "the truth is infrastructure servinc the project will be financed by tax dollars."--- but the ad doesn't give any verification/back up for that statement.

The ad also says, "we don't want local businesses destroyed"-- that's what made my husband think that maybe this is being paid for by 7MM. What "local" businesses would be in competition with Wegman's? A locally owned shoe-store? nooooo....

anyway, I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this.

anonymous to protect location

TranquilityAndPeace

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 9:16 am

I don't know the answers to any of these questions. Just thinking that if you're on FB and post this in this group, I'm sure you'll get lots of answers! https://www.facebook.com/groups/Baltimommies/

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 9:39 am

I didn't see that specific ad, but I've been getting phone calls and flyers both pro and against it, and I don't think 7 MM is behind it. There are plenty of other groceries around, and they still have their place in the market. I don't think Wegmans which is not even close to the majority of the Jewish community would threaten that. There is a much closer Giant which doesn't seem to have hurt 7MM.

Rubber Ducky

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 9:51 am

Really, really interesting. I see that the ad has no credit line for any graphic artist or agency. I went on the website and saw no web developer listed. The domain name is registered to domainsbyproxy.com, which is a way to keep ownership of a site from being known. So it certainly appears that the campaign is being spearheaded and financed by businesses who are trying to keep out competition.

I shop Wegman's in Hunt Valley already; it's a terrific store. An Owings Mills location would make the store much more convenient to Jewish Baltimore. With Wegman's commitment to high quality and to customer service, I can well believe that local businesses have what to be concerned about. I guess it's easier for local stores to try to keep out competition than to improve their own quality and customer service.

amother

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 10:18 am

This is the OP....

Okay, I did some research..this is what I found out. The Owings Mills Mall wants Wegman's to come to their mall. Wegman's doesn't want to. So the OM Mall hired a PR firm to drum up negative publicity. Apparently, the PR firm has some frum people working there, so they thought it would be a good idea to take out a large ad in the Advertiser.

nothing to do with 7MM management.

once the wegman's is there, it will bring nicer stores to other strip malls to the area...there are a lot of plans in the works once wegman's gets started.

amother

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 10:51 am

OP again.

Also, my source (Vicky Almond's office) laughed when he heard about the ad. He said that most of what is said in the ad is anyway not true. (I read it to him), and he had hard facts to back up what he said.....unlike the ad.

There is a big hearing tonight at Pikesville HS about zoning. One of the issues will be the re-zoning of the factory to retail. He also pointed out that if the factory is left as industrial, there are not bunch of manufacturers lined up dying to use that property.....another vacant property won't help anyone.

do you know that shopping center that you cut through to get to TI? He said that once Wegman's comes in, there are plans to make that nicer, too. (get rid of that skeezy adult video store).

so, wegman's will make the whole area nicer.

spring13

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 10:59 am

Just my 2 cents, but as someone who grew up with Wegmans, I can say that there is no other supermarket I've ever been to that compare. And anyone I know who grew up with Wegmans feels the same. I almost wish I still lived in Bmore so I'd be able to have the fun of doing the bulk of my shopping there again.

I'd say Wegmans is absolutely the awesomest thing that could come to the Pikesville area. I didn't mind going to Hunt Valley sometimes but its no question Owings Mills is more convenient. if consumers are thinknig straight, they'll comprehend that this is a good thing.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 11:06 am

How can they get rid of an adult video store just because they build a grocery store across the street?
(and if that strip is made nicer, there will be more traffic there, and there goes my cut through Wink

)

Last edited by Hashem_Yaazor on Thu, Jun 07 2012, 11:07 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 11:07 am

it's not the consumers who are against it.... the rep at Vicky Almond's office told me, "Everyone I meet asks, "oh, so when is the wegman's opening?"

it doesn't sound like that there will be any problems with it going through. The county council wants it, Vicky's office wants it, the county planning board thinks its a good idea, the consumers want it....nigmar hasipur!

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 11:10 am

OP, did you read this?
http://www.baltimoresun.com/ne.....story

amother

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 11:13 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

)

"they" can't "get rid of an adult video store"
No -- meaning, once the wegman's plan gets going, more real estate developers are going to be interested in the area. There are already developers interested in that area. So they come, buy out the stores that are there, renovate the place, etc.... (think something along the lines of Valley Village, Woodholme Square, , etc... because once people are coming from Reisterstown, Cockeysville, Ruxton, etc.. to Wegman's, they'll stay and shop.

amother

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 11:20 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

OP, did you read this?
http://www.baltimoresun.com/ne.....story

what do you take me for? shock

of course I read it!

Say No to Solo Coalition: a "citizens" group paid for by the developers/owners of the OM Mall.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 11:30 am

lol -- I wasn't sure if you knew about the backstories or not, since it seemed like you just saw an ad just this week Smile

The reason I brought that op-ed was because of your assumption that the zoning is a slam dunk...I don't think it is. I do think they'll get it approved, but it's not going to be without a fight.

And honestly, I would like a Wegman's there, but I'd also like a 3 lane road to make mornings easier to drive carpool. Obviously, this construction can only be done in August, and not during the school year Wink

amother

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 11:42 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

lol -- I wasn't sure if you knew about the backstories or not, since it seemed like you just saw an ad just this week Smile

the developer will be widening the road. because he doesn't want traffic there, either. It's in the plans. Despite what the "citizens against solo" people say. There is no money from the state or the county to wider the road.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 11:47 am

Oh, I thought that was a road behind the store, not Reisterstown.

Rubber Ducky

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 12:02 pm

Sounds like it will ultimately improve the traffic situation there.

Tova

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 12:03 pm

What's the current situation with OM Mall? Does anyone ever shop there? Last I heard it was a ghost town. I remember in HS going there all the time.

amother

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 12:13 pm

OM Mall: here is what my source at VA's office told me:

The mall is owned jointly by 4 different partners: Macy's, JC Penney's. and 2 real estate development companies. So while the plan is to tear down the mall (with the exception of the 2 department stores) and create something along the lines of what's in Hunt Valley, there is a problem: None of the 4 partners can agree on what they want there (too many cooks in the kitchen!). For example, if the developers say, "let's bring in a Kohl;s (I love kohl's, FYI!) then of course Macy's and Penney's say "No way." get the idea?

The real estate company asked Wegman's to come build on the mall property. Wegman's, of course, said, "no" because the mall is so lousy. That's why the mall is funding all this negative publiciity against Wegman's.

In the OP-ED that HY linked to....there is talk of "taking away money from state investments." Okay, that could make sense. See, because there is a subway station there, and there will be a public library and community college there, there has been taxpayer $$ invested in it. But unless there will be a supermarket there (and I didn't see anything about it on the website), that's only good for wegmans and vice versa. People will go to the supermarket , and pop in at the library, proabably go to a starbucks in the area, etc.....

amother

Thu, Jun 07 2012, 12:15 pm

sorry, I didn't clarify: the op ed that was referred to is talking about Metro Center: where there is a huge parking lot and train station to get downtown.