Daley, Johnson Want Suburban Style

By Margaret Lyons in News on Sep 23, 2004 4:32PM

The Starbucks at 71st and Stony Island celebrated its July opening yesterday, and Magic Johnson, Mayor Daley, and Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th) were on hand for the ceremony. The tone wasn't all smiles and caffeine though, as Daley, of course, unleashed some haterade.

Daley criticized other developers, though he wouldn't name names, for building nicer stores with more windows in the suburbs and more brick stores in Chicago. "What do you mean, you're in [an inner-city] community? They're not gonna destroy anything. This is a myth. It's a real myth. And we have to stop that. Do the same thing you're doing in Lake Forest in the city of Chicago," Daley said, adding that developers cannot explain themselves when called out on the architectural discrepancies. Walgreens and CVS are two major retailers whose initial Chicago-location plans were rejected for being too brick-y.

Hairston and Johnson were a bit more upbeat; both cited the Starbucks as a symbol of reinvigorating the South Side—"It is about making a statement," Hairston said. Hairston had been a major supporter of Starbucks taking over the location and had rejected plans for fast food retailers. Johnson also saw the spot as representative of urban development in general. "You can come into urban America anywhere -- even here in Chicago -- and you can make money. [But], you must bring the best of the best.'"

Unfortunately, this guy hasn't visited the 71st Street location yet.