Chicago’s Magnificent Mile At Risk For Massive Store Closures, Alderman Says

CBS Chigago ^ | August 7, 2020 at 10:43 pm | Tara Molino

[robowombat]

CHICAGO (CBS) — Is Chicago’s Magnificent Mile at risk for massive store closures? Just two months ago it was the epicenter of unrest. Then this week there was a murder on Oak Street and Michigan Avenue. All of that is on top of a pandemic that has taken a toll on everyone.

A Chicago icon, the Magnificent Mile’s 13 blocks are known across the world. It’s a draw for tourists and a serious boost to the city’s bottom line. What would the city look like without all of this? Hopkins says we could find out.

There are existing vacancies, some stores still boarded up, others dealing with plummeting sales,

“We’re losing tax revenue, and we are losing sales tax on a daily basis,” he said. “If this trend continues, we won’t have a viable downtown. And it’s not going to be that long. We’re talking a few years. Privately they’re telling me they can’t sustain this. They can’t continue at the level they’re at right now, and if it keeps up, we are going to see a rash of business closures in the downtown area.”

Hopkins was in a meeting with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and business owners in the area who were expressing their concerns, when the shooting happened Tuesday afternoon. Rapper FBG Duck was shot and killed. Two others were seriously injured.

“Nordstrom and Bloomingdales and Ferragamo, and all large Marquee stores that are on the avenue here attract people from all over the world and all over the U.S. and Chicago,” said Mike Riordan of the River North Residents Association. “It’s one thing to lose control one weekend, but then it’s another thing for this stuff to keep on going. It opened the floodgates to a bunch of brazenness and lawlessness that we’ve never seen here before.”

[GOPJ]

Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker both noted that last night’s/this morning’s activities were NOT justification for deploying the National Guard or Federal troops.

Democrat ACTIONS favor looting, burnings, and destruction. The mayor wants to keep the violent action going....

But she's wised up on the 'words'...now she's "against" violence with her cheap words... but her actions (denying effective help to stop looters and thugs) allow the violence to continue. The press will buy this because they're too stupid to see that actions trump words... Lots of these tactics are every 'chinese'... .

[steve86]

“you can’t even hire someone in Idaho to willing to drive a truck back to Portland!”

Well, I’m in eastern WA close to Idaho and would volunteer. Portland is 150 square miles and only around six city blocks are involved in the rioting.

[ought-six]

I agree. “Da Mare” (as it was pronounced back in the day) would have taken care of this crap in a heartbeat. He was the king of malapropisms, but he loved the city deeply, and would not suffer any insult or indignity to it.