Local community members floated several ideas to counter the food desert in West Dayton, including creating a public market on West Third Street similar to the popular 2nd Street Market, which is operated by Five Rivers MetroParks in the Webster Station neighborhood.
One solution “would be to bring something similar to the 2nd Street Market to the actual Westown Shopping Center,” said Jamica Garrison, co-founder and board member of the community group Neighborhoods Over Politics.
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In light of Aldi’s closure announcement, West Dayton needs a plan to ensure residents do not have to go to great lengths to get healthy foods, said former Dayton Mayor Clay Dixon.
This may require building more community gardens and encouraging and supporting local retailers to upgrade and expand their product selections, he said.
New farmer’s markets could help meet the community’s food needs, according to some attendees, while a few supported creating food cooperatives, similar to the Gem City Market food co-op, which is planned for lower Salem Avenue.
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If Aldi closes, new food options will be needed very close to the Westown property, and one solution is to bring something similar to the 2nd Street Market, said Garrison.
She said significant numbers of Aldi customers take the bus or walk to the Westown center and can’t easily shop somewhere else because of transportation limitations.
The 2nd Street Market, which opened in 2001, offers dozens of food, crafts and art vendors in a former railroad building.
RELATED: 2nd Street Market: A downtown Dayton gem
Multiple people who attended Tuesday’s event questioned why Aldi is leaving when the store usually seems to be packed with customers.
Aldi publicly has provided few details about the motivation for its decision.
Garrison, citing a Wall Street Journal report, said the company evidently has chosen to focus on expanding its presence in the suburbs.
Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein told the audience that attracting and retaining corporate retailers is difficult when the market area’s demographics does not meet their business formulas, which considers factors such as rooftops.
But she said city leaders are discussing how to support alternative food operations and figure out strategies to improve food access.
She said the city possibly can help with obtaining market data, bringing the right people to the table and creating an organizing plan to attract retail investment or guide resources to the right places.
“Can we do a Third Street market like we have a 2nd Street Market?” Dickstein said.
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