More housing, less neighborhood input
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Neighborhood opposition to a proposed Walgreens on Monroe Street ultimately led to a project that benefits not just the neighborhood but the whole city.
Ken Kopp just wanted to retire. He wasnât planning to destroy the near west side.
In the winter of 2002 I attended a crowded neighborhood meeting in the West High cafeteria. Ken Kopp had announced that he was closing his iconic neighborhood grocery store on Monroe Street and was planning on selling the property to a developer. So, a meeting was set to hear about their proposal.Â
Basically, they were pitching a small group of stores anchored by a Walgreens drugstore. I wasnât crazy about the idea, but my neighbors were at their entitled worst. They were rude and sarcastic. There was much clucking and many deep sighs. You would have thought the proposal was for a toxic waste dump and a stockyard.Â