Many Third Ward business owners are opposed to the plans for a Dollar General store.
Plans to put a new General Dollar DGX store in the Third Ward are not sitting well with local business owners. An online petition already has over 160 signatures of citizens who oppose plans to the store, which would be located near St. Paul and Broadway Ave. in the heart of the Third Ward.
Many opposed say the neighborhood is a hub for creatives, artists and entrepreneurs.
“Just because it’s convenient doesn't necessarily mean its good,” said Fred Gillich, owner of 414 Milwaukee.
Gillich signed the petition Friday. His store is located just one city block from the proposed plans. He says the store does not fit in the Third Ward.
“I can’t get behind it because all of us who work our butts off who to do something now have to compete with unlimited amounts of dollars and attention away from us,” he said about area business owners.
The online petition, started by the Third Ward Advocates, mirrored these concerns.
“Dollar General's big box corporate model (comparable to or larger than Walmart), will make it difficult or impossible for local businesses to compete. We do not want to turn Broadway into a cliche of other city malls,” the petiton reads.
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The location of the proposed store would be near Broadway and St. Paul Ave.
Initial plans for the store were announced during a Sept. 5 public meeting. The store would be called a DGX - a smaller convenience style store for metropolitan areas. District 4 Alderman Bob Bauman said he has received over 30 emails about the plans for the store. He also said over 40 people came to the Sept. 5 meeting. The sentiment has been “overwhelming opposed so far.”
There are multiple DGX stores operating throughout the midwest and east coast. A reddit post announcing the news showed many positive comments about the need for the store.
“If I lived in the Third Ward I'd be all for it. Saves having to go to a grocery or big box store for little things,” one user said.
However, many storefronts in the Third Ward have “NO DOLLAR GENERAL DGX” signs on their front windows. Many opposed are also encouraging others to come to a Sept. 26 meeting at the Milwaukee Public Market, hosted by Ald. Bauman.
