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Three Store Closures Leave Grocery Gaps for Rapid City

One of the advantages of living in town over living in the country is that folks should be able to walk to the grocery store. But with SpartanNash closing three grocery stores in Rapid City, that advantage is fading for a lot of Rapid City residents, particularly lower-income residents with limited transportation downtown and on the north side.

SDPB’s Lee Strubinger gets this cool map from Rapid City Collective Impact and Feeding South Dakota to show the gaps that will be left in walkable access to grocery stores by the closing of Prairie Market at 11 New York Street, Family Thrift Center at 855 Omaha St., and Family Thrift Express at 3464 Sturgis Road. I add those three stores and the walkable half-mile radii around them.

Rapid City grocery stores and walkability—map from Rapid City Collective Impact, modified by CAH.
Rapid City grocery stores and walkability—map from Rapid City Collective Impact, modified by CAH.

Note that none of these three closing stores overlap with the half-mile radius of any other major grocery store on the map. I’d be curious to learn what market forces dictated these closures… and whether any other operators could do better amidst those market forces.

Rapid City should encourage other grocers to give it a try. As expressed in a July 30 editorial in the Rapid City Journal, economic development means developing the whole city. Grocery stores are one of the most basic components of a whole city. The ability to walk to the grocery store is good not just for low-income folks but for anyone who lives and works downtown. Rapid City leaders recruit new grocers to fill these empty stores and the looming gaps in walkable shopping for basic provisions in the center of the city.

69 Comments

  1. Porter Lansing 2017-08-12 13:36

    Grocery stores in CO are hurting, also. They are giving lots of incentives to shop though. Coupons and specials like I’ve never seen. Their problem is that millennials (my daughters and their age group) are getting groceries delivered. Here Walmart, Target and Amazon deliver.

  2. jerry 2017-08-12 13:47

    Porter, you are correct. Even in rural areas, they are getting deliveries of boxed groceries that contain perishables. My look is that in order to make food stores work, there has to be something else offered. I see that Holiday does that and in a trip to Colorado, I see Maverick with even more offers for customers. They offer more items than traditional convenience stores and also food to eat. Fresh Start does that as well. In Rapid City, perhaps the best thing to do in these locations would be to put in a Maverick or a Holiday to solve the food desert problem. All three would be choice locations for these kinds of businesses.

  3. Roger Cornelius 2017-08-12 14:01

    You’re right, Cory, these store closing will hurt the economically disadvantaged.
    The past 20 years has seen a lot of changes in the downtown grocery business.
    When Walmart came to town the changes were on the horizon, first Dan’s Supermarket on Omaha Street closed and became a strip mall. Next the Albertson’s grocery chain pulled out of the city and the store was replaced by Family Thrift at 855 Omaha St.
    Walmart has dominated the grocery business since the first came to town with one store and now two.
    Most people living out of walking distance to Walmart and for those that can you can’t carry too much home with you.
    It is a damn shame that Mayor Allender and the city fathers call this an opportunity when it is a heartbreaking for those that have to walk to get their groceries. This opportunity they speak to won’t help when development would take up to two years.
    Rapid City does have limited bus service to these locations, including Walmart, but again you will have to haul your groceries from the bus stop to your home.

  4. Miller 2017-08-12 14:16

    Throwing up a gas station full of junk food and five dollar half gallons of milk will not help matters in food deserts. The cost of their food is expensive up front, and more expensive years down in medical costs. Still more problematically they sell tobacco and alcohol. This is a major source of income for these businesses, and source of problems for public health.

    Furthermore, these gas stations provide a few low-paid jobs, while sucking money out of the local economy and funneling it into the wallets of rich people out-of-state. That’s hardly what we need, but that’s all we seem to get in Rapid.

    Tearing out the gas pumps and refitting the stores as small family-run grocery stores would solve several issues in Rapid. I don’t see this actually happening, however.

  5. Porter Lansing 2017-08-12 14:18

    Rapid could help the situation. My little town has two buses that take seniors and disabled to the grocery once a week for free. They do it so the Kroger and Safeway won’t leave town. On the agenda is expanding to all age groups.

  6. Miranda Gohn 2017-08-12 14:39

    When I was in Rapid City the locals called it Rapid City being Poverty With a View. It’s pretty sad.

  7. jerry 2017-08-12 16:11

    The Imperial Motel was torn down and is now vacant land for sale.

  8. jerry 2017-08-12 16:21

    What will happen to Rapid City is the same that happens to any place that is dependent on tourism, the land and buildings that once was home to something that housed workers or provide workers a place for their goods and services is torn down and replaced by something that does them no good.

  9. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-08-12 16:25

    Roger, do you have a sense of how many residents in the neighborhood of Prairie Market drive out to Wal-Mart anyway for their groceries? I keep wondering how much that might affect the market picture for those central stores.

  10. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-08-12 16:32

    I do get a decent deal on milk at my corner gas station here in Aberdeen, and I did buy a bottle of ketchup there one evening when we had hotdogs and mustard and I didn’t want to cross town to Kessler’s, but those are the only grocery purchases worth the money and time savings.

    I’ll walk or bike the 1.8 miles to Kesslers for some groceries. Wal-Mart out on the east edge of town is unwalkable for anyone in town, due to distance (four miles from my house) and the bike-/pedestrian unfriendly 6th Ave/Hwy12. Bargain Mart was a great low-income option just 0.6 miles away, right on Main Street, but they haven’t reopened since their roof collapsed last summer.

  11. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-08-12 16:35

    Easy bus routes to the grocery stores—excellent idea! Would it be cost effective to have one “grocery express” for each neighborhood, making hourly runs from the area around, say, closed Prairie Market, out to the nearest grocery store?

  12. leslie 2017-08-12 16:55

    driving past Bear Butte from ND through Sturgis was shocking after a few years. East Sturgis all the way to Glenco past Bear Butte toward Newell is all bikerville. woody whatever and the Hagg boys will keep hacking till the county and the city completely capitulate to rally tourism. “ave paradise and put up a parking lot. Right wing ( I used to call it “establishment”) short term capitalism, is and will consume the nation and is no grand theory to run a country on.

    btw, for political reasons rightwingers here have briefly cried about, “President Trump, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson skipped the most recent meeting of the O.A.S., where the Venezuelan crisis was the first order of business.” worthless republicans. really

    also, I longed to see the complete self-destruction of the republican party in the wake of a cautiously hoped HRC victory ( or Bernie had he the horsepower to do it at the time), it’s “death spiral” (love it!) as we all witnesses pre-election. Now it seems I may get my wish despite the republican 2017 victory.

  13. leslie 2017-08-12 16:57

    sorry-“pave paradise and put up a parking lot” said some long lost genius.

  14. Porter Lansing 2017-08-12 16:59

    Yes it would, Cory. In my little town you get on the bus list and get picked up at your house on the same day and time every week. If you don’t need to go, you let them know on the town website. I think the grocery stores are picking up much of the cost because they see a need to solidify loyalty among their customers what with Walmart free delivery and all. If you don’t want to be on the list you can choose to sign up two days in advance, each week for a free ride.

  15. leslie 2017-08-12 17:00

    …briefly cried about Venezuela, celebrating its demise.

  16. Porter Lansing 2017-08-12 17:00

    PS … The driver helps carry your groceries to your door.

  17. Miranda Gohn 2017-08-12 17:06

    You now have a sizable food desert in Rapid City. Is there any chance for the community to form a grocery Co-op or Co-ops? There are different type of Co-ops so they do not have to stock the more expensive Organic items. The town of Fredrick with the Finnish settlers if my memory serves me correctly were the first in South Dakota. I believe they still have a community owned store there.

    What about a family owned store or stores. Cory mentioned Kessler’s which is 3rd or 4th generation family owned but Ken’s in Aberdeen is the other family owned store that seems to do quite well and also has carved out a niche with a Super Walmart in town. Ken’s I feel has the best meat department in town and other areas where they really shine and offer excellent service. Good values! They have little turnover and the employees appear to make a career working there which is a good sign since they must be treated well and valued. Plus being a local business like Kessler’s they put their money back into the community including being very generous in donations vs out of state large corporations.

  18. Miranda Gohn 2017-08-12 17:32

    Oh! Ken’s has the best Tiger Meat too! Kesslers in 2nd place. Tiger meat on a saltine cracker with an ice cold Grain Belt or non-alcoholic beverage of course. Rapid City could have some opportunities for stores like these there. Who knows? Co-ops? Family grocery store? Maybe enterprising new American immigrants? Native entrepreneurs?

  19. jerry 2017-08-12 18:20

    Walmart is working on delivery of groceries like Amazon does and according to Porter, Target as well. Unless someone is willing to take over these shuttered locations and start doing the same or build a Maverick or Holiday, then they will have to wait for Walmart and Target to start delivering. That would not be a idea to open a delivery type of grocery operation. There used to be one in Rapid City many years ago called Hermanson’s or something like that. Successful business too. You could have a good meat counter like they did and who knows.

  20. Roger Cornelius 2017-08-12 18:23

    Cory, I don’t know the population that is served by Prairie Market, but from the parking lot there appears to be steady traffic.
    Both Prairie Market and the Family Thrift store on Omaha seem to serve more of a convenience store than a full grocery store.
    West Rapid City still has a Family Thrift and a Safeway, I use the Safeway frequently. There is also a Safeway on Mt. Rushmore Road that seems to be quite busy the times I have been by.
    Jerry, with the closing of both Family Thrift and Prairie Market downtown, there is plenty of built-in opportunity.
    I hate to bring this up, but it is an important point. Both stores have a flow of undesirable patrons that likely purchase more alcohol than groceries.

  21. jerry 2017-08-12 18:39

    Just deliver groceries and you would not have the alcohol to deal with. I also wonder if there would be a way to deliver pharmacy supplies from these locations. All three would have to have good freezer and cooler’s onsite. Seems like the fixtures could also be had as well. Maybe the city could step up to help in taxes and whatnot.

  22. Miranda Gohn 2017-08-12 18:44

    Jerry,

    My concern is the added cost of delivery for customers. You have some customers counting pennies just scraping by and others who have the financial ability but are frugal and will combine trips w/ driving a car and purchase there plus the store experience and in-store specials to help drive traffic, walk, bike or public transit.

  23. Porter Lansing 2017-08-12 18:47

    Jerry. Colorado’s funny. Grocery stores don’t sell alcohol but liquor stores deliver. It used to be similar in Mpls. Liquor stores closed at 8:00 but if you had an order in they’d deliver until all orders were completed.

  24. Porter Lansing 2017-08-12 18:56

    When you order groceries to be delivered they don’t come from a grocery store. They come from a non-union grocery warehouse. Big reduction in overheard. That’s why I don’t use delivery or the self checkout aisle. Keep the union brothers and sisters busy.

  25. Porter Lansing 2017-08-12 19:04

    I didn’t mention that Kroger and Safeway deliver groceries, also. But it’s not always free.

  26. jerry 2017-08-12 19:35

    I would imagine that there might be a minimum to purchase or your would get a charge. There should be a way that some folks would not have to pay that though. Say if it is a food stamp order or if you are a veteran or elderly, that should negate that charge. You could have a club card or something like that to show you are one of the above.

  27. Porter Lansing 2017-08-12 19:41

    Good ideas, Jerry.

  28. jerry 2017-08-12 19:46

    I am reminded that there is also a health food kind of store just across the street from Prairie Market, so there is that. That store has some locally grown vegetables, eggs, meats and a lot more.

  29. grudznick 2017-08-12 20:12

    People, Rapid City cannot support the 216 grocery stores that Mr. H has calculated would make walking distance, given the multiple trips with armloads of food and the fatigue that sets in by trip number 3, feasible.

    People need to drive to a store and haul back boxes of food, or arrange for the food to be brought to them. I, for one, have it brought to me. Soon, that Amazon thing will be delivering it to your back stoops.

    That’s just the way the free market works, at least until Billie Sutton is Governor and there is a grocery store on every corner. Heck, there’s a campaign slogan for him. He should grab it up before Kristi does.

  30. grudznick 2017-08-12 20:42

    Folks in town are NOT entitled to walk to the store. BAH on this entitlement attitude Mr. H lays out as his opening premise.

  31. jerry 2017-08-12 21:26

    Mr. grudznick, it is not a walk to the store it is more like running the gauntlet to the store. I can tell you that the drivers in Rapid City will run you down like a squirrel in the road if you are not on your game. It gets worse if they see you packing a bag or something, then they think you are somehow added points.

  32. grudznick 2017-08-12 21:41

    Mr. jerry, that’s why those people should drive to the store. Or better yet, don’t buy groceries at Walmart because nobody who isn’t a Post 22 athlete could navigate that parking lot there in North Rapid with a paper sack full of Cheetos pop tarts and malt drinks without being mowed down by a ’04 Pontiac with a donut on the back left.

  33. jerry 2017-08-12 21:51

    Mr. grudznick, I may have missed it, but I think the point of Cory’s post was to mention that those who do not have one of these car gadgets are going to have to walk some distance for food. So are you saying that what they should do is contract one of these Post 22 athlete’s for their gofer to get the milk and eggs? Curious, how many malt drinks were you packing while avoiding the near miss? Your sure that there was a donut on the back left and not one of those low riders?

  34. Donald Pay 2017-08-12 21:55

    I used to shop at Prairie Market. It was my main grocery shopping stop, though I’d hit up any store for the bargains. Prairie Market was a couple blocks from my place. My daughter and I would walk there quite often. Lots of good memories there shopping with my daughter, who would stand on the cart while I pushed. My favorite checker there was named Scarlet. Fast (by that I mean in scanning the groceries) and sweet.

    Prairie Market was a full grocery store, not a convenience store, although it was on the smaller side. There used to be a Safeway across the Street, but that left in the late 1990s. A very busy liquor store was associated with Prairie Market, though it had a separate entrance. The liquor store became a bit of a problem because it attracted a lot of alcoholics from the nearby bikepath. There were some attempts to shut it down when I lived there. There was a bingo hall nearby, and that drew in a lot of folks, who would then shop there. I think the bingo hall shut down when I was there.

    Most folks in that area worked, but didn’t make lots of money on average. Some did, however. It was a family friendly area, and building the ice nearby and redoing Roosevelt Park should have made the area even better for families. There were a lot of families when I lived there, but most people had to commute to jobs elsewhere in town, so most had a vehicle or two.

    It is close to the flood plain, so I expect redevelopment would be restricted somewhat. But with all the other inner city groceries gone, it might be able to attract a new grocer.

  35. Porter Lansing 2017-08-12 22:07

    Interesting, Donald. In 1964 when I started in the food biz, Prairie Market was a members Club. Like Sam’s Club. Isn’t it that way anymore?

  36. jerry 2017-08-12 22:08

    There was a Godfathers Pizza place on the other end of the complex. Prairie Market was the first place that I saw that was kind of warehouse shopping long before Sam’s Club. They were ahead of their time for the area and you could get some pretty good deals like you say there. Liquor is always a problem and with pawn shops so close, it makes it even more of a problem.

  37. Donald Pay 2017-08-12 22:20

    Yup. It was warehouse shopping for a while in the 1970s and early 1980s. At first it was a member club, then it was open to anyone. I remember they didn’t actually price the food. This was before UPC. They would have you mark the price on your item. Most people bought in bulk. It was cheap. That was before we moved to Rapid, though. We went there a few times on camping trips to stock up. Mostly we hit the Red Owl or Piggly Wiggly in Bacon Park on our way up into the Hills.

    But by the time we moved to RC in 1988, Prairie Market was a regular grocery store.

  38. Porter Lansing 2017-08-12 22:33

    Exactly, Donald. I was an eleven year old dishwasher and sometimes the cook would take me along to Prairie Market to push the cart. You remember the big flatcar carts.

  39. Roger Cornelius 2017-08-12 22:51

    grudz’s is a lot like his hero Donald Trump.
    Both refuse to acknowledge that poor people exist and often can’t afford a fleet of vehicles let a lone one.
    jerry, I don’t have a car and haven’t driven in years so I walk most places. When you walk in downtown Rapid City you literally take your life into your own hands. Pedestrians are rushed by drivers even when they are in cross walks and completely ignore the lights that allow your to cross the street.
    The facts remains that many people will always have to walk for many errands and not just to shop for groceries.
    I’m fortunate to have a lovely niece that gladly takes me to doctor appointments and grocery shopping whenever I need to go, not all people have that advantage.

  40. buckobear 2017-08-12 23:34

    Leslie – – sorry-“pave paradise and put up a parking lot” said some long lost genius.
    That would be Joni Mitchell …. and she’s still around.

    Sure do love visiting the Hy-Vee and Costco when in SF !! Sure would like one of each in RC.

  41. OldSarg 2017-08-12 23:36

    The distance from the Family Thrift on Omaha that shut down to Walmart is 2.4 miles of walking. From the poorest section in Rapid to Walmart is 1.3 miles. There is a grocery store in Rapid City within 1 mile of every neighborhood. There are over 20 grocery stores in Rapid. We have a population of just over 67,000. We have more grocery stores per person than any town in South Dakota.

  42. Porter Lansing 2017-08-13 02:10

    You’re so hard, Sarge. People need choices. Is it so expensive to help voters get groceries?

  43. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-08-13 07:11

    Fair point from Miranda on delivery… which may apply to transit as well. We need to be conscious of added cost and make sure the solution doesn’t leave folks in the same budget predicament. But as Porter notes, delivery could take customer costs down while raising costs in other ways—consolidating operations out of town in non-union warehouses, cutting jobs, etc.

    However, delivery gets me thinking. We’re trying out a service that sends meal-fixins in a box—all the ingredients in just-right portions, ready to cook. I’m not sold—like Schwan’s delivery, it’s too expensive, plus it’s far too wasteful of packaging (tons of cardboard padding and two big ice packs—but I can see how the whole grocery transportation model could shift in that direction. Right now, food goes from producer to processors to grocers to consumers. Meal-in-a-Box moves the grocer from neighborhood back to central factory/warehouse and assumes the cost of last-mile transportation. Expand Meal-in-a-Box to all things Hy-Vee, and the food makes the same trip from factory/warehouse to Aberdeen in the same big grocery truck. Instead of my paying for the last mile with my own time and occasionally gasoline, I pay for it in shipping costs, my share of the FedEx driver’s time and gasoline… which, once automated with wheeled or aerial drones, should be cheaper. Information systems and automated vehicles may make the grocery store obsolete.

  44. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-08-13 07:17

    I remember Mom and Dad letting me use the red crayon/pencil at the Sioux Falls Prairie Market on our monthly stock-up trips from Madison. That and eating at McDonald’s were the best parts of going to Sioux Falls when I was little. (Madison had neither Prairie Market nor McDonalds in the 1970s.)

  45. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-08-13 07:39

    I’ll go this far toward OldSarg’s statement: we could all stand to walk more.

    If we triple the radii in the RCCI map above and assume 1.5 miles is a reasonable distance to walk to the store and then to walk again with two armfuls (or a backpack, or a wagon) full of groceries, the gaps in North Rapid shrink. However, USDA defines food desert in town at the one-mile mark.

    The Farm Bill includes the Healthy Foods Financing Initiative, which offers federal help to get rid of food deserts. HFFI operates under USDA Rural Development. The Trump budget would eliminate HFFI (see page 80).

  46. jerry 2017-08-13 08:43

    Walking is a good thing for sure, but when you are elderly, pregnant or disabled, it is kind of difficult. That snow and ice thingy does not help either and open season on pedestrians is kind of risky too. The only thing that would make delivery work without fee would be government intervention to provide the jobs needed to perform the work and delivery, a needed subsidy.

    The note of Rapid City having over 20 grocery and yet food deserts show that the three that are lost, were necessary. On the Elk Vale Road, there was a sign up some time ago, that said Safeway was purchasing land there for a store. The last time I drove by, natta. Thinking back, there also was a small store downtown Rapid City that is now closed for more pawn shop stuff.
    Sioux Falls also has food deserts and then we need to think about the vast deserts of the state where 1.5 miles is the distance between the home place and the first fence gate. When these folks come to town, it is for a pickup load. These folks also are getting the boxed groceries delivered. Delivery seems like the right thinking as these guys show http://feedingsouthdakota.org/ Get a pantry truck and work together, both free and fee.

    To get trump from eliminating the Rural Development program, say it is just for white nationalists and or Nazi party kind of guys and dolls, that will put his little tweeter in action.

  47. barry freed 2017-08-13 09:32

    First, no one (practically) lives within 1/2 mile of these stores (or any grocery stores in town). They are surrounded by flood plain and businesses. These “deserts” are natural, as the small stores were choked out by the big stores and there is no space in the Residential neighborhoods to build. Safeway on 8th Street should add on, but there is no room on the parcel that was a rock shop and trailer court. It didn’t help that they eliminated food to put in a flower shop. I suggested to one manager to go up with a second story and add a restaurant, building after hours to remain open during construction. I got that look I get a lot.

    Second, I would not eat out of the Omaha and East Blvd outlets as the odor inside them was overpowering. East Blvd stunk, period, and Omaha smelled of old fish. They needed to close as stink is indicative of potential food poisoning. That, and the panhandling out front often turned violent at those two stores with their very lucrative liquor stores. It starts out nice a friendly, until you say: “no” more than once, then it often turns. Might be a couple of the market forces Cory wonders about. The Food Stores will close, but what of the liquor stores? Bet they don’t close.

    Family Thrift on St Pat was its own store before being bought out by the ratty corporation: Nash Finch. The last time I was in St Pat, it was clean and had a good lunch at a good price to offer. The management was smarter than Safeway as they installed a restaurant in a remodel and then took their soon to be outdated food and made it tomorrow’s lunch special. They did not skimp on serving size, and why would you? It would have been garbage tomorrow. Safeway still gives their perfectly good food to Bear Country.

    Cory, the weight of a gallon of milk handled by Fedex will cost you at least $12 from one side of Aberdeen to the other.
    The future will be: shopping via internet, delivered by self-driving vehicle with heated and frozen compartments, then a phone call to alert you that your order is now arriving in your driveway.

    There’s “that look” again.

  48. OldSarg 2017-08-13 09:43

    Porter you could always move to South Dakota from Colorado and open a grocery store instead of expecting everyone else to take the risk. . . Coaching from the bleachers is easy.

  49. Phil Cole 2017-08-13 10:41

    Family Thrift on St Pat was ALWAYS a Nash-Finch store. Now the FTC express on Sturgis Road has always had a loyal neighborhood support base. The problem is that the building itself is compromised and needs to be completely demoed and a new one built. Maybe a Save-a-Lot store would be a perfect fit for that location. Maybe Lynn’s from Sturgis could be petitioned to put one in there. The Save-a-Lot on St Pat is a nice store with an excellent meat dept at good prices and fairly good produce. It seems a natural fit.

  50. Donald Pay 2017-08-13 10:42

    Cory is right on this. I was without a car in RC for about a year. “Pumpkin” conked out on my final trip back from the Legislature one year, and I decided I was done driving old beaters. I had to save up for a decent vehicle. I borrowed cars from others at times, but mostly we got around on the bus system, bikes and walking. We were lucky to live a couple blocks away from a grocery store.

    We bought groceries every day. Bulk buying to save money was out. Shopping the bargains at other stores was limited. Until you are in that position you don’t realize how costly it is to be poor.

  51. W R Old Guy 2017-08-13 10:58

    I’m not sure where Old Sarge comes up with over 20 grocery stores in Rapid unless you count the convenience stores. I count 14 that I consider “grocery stores”. Family thrift has 5 and is closing 3, Safeway and WalMart have 2 each, Save a Lot on East St Pat, Fresh Start (former Don’s Valley Market off Elk Vale) Sam’s Club, Natural Foods Co-op and Target with the last two having a limited selection.

    The Family Thrift Express on Sturgis Rd is in an old leased building that is probably beyond renovation cost wise. The staff has done an excellent job in maintaining the store and I shop there often. It’s clean with a friendly and helpful staff.

    The Family Thrift on Omaha (old Albertson’s) is an ideal location but needs serious renovation. Albertsons had plans to install gas pumps before they decided to pull out. Albertsons now owns Safeway so there is a possibility of remodeling for Safeway or Albertson’s and installing gas pumps. The parking in accessible for RVs and right on the route to Mt Rushmore. Some other possibilities are Dakota Mart and Fresh Start.

    I haven’t been in Prairie Market in years but I suspect it is leased space in need of major renovation.

    All three of the stores that are closing have liquor sales associated with them. I would guess the liquor stores will close also.

    Holiday convenience stores carry beer and there is one at the corner of East Blvd and Omaha. I have noted that the prices in that store are slightly higher than the sister store in Rushmore Crossing.

    Could the closing of the two stores adjacent to the downtown be a part of the revitalization program which includes getting the Cornerstone rescue Mission off of Main St?

  52. jerry 2017-08-13 11:14

    WR Oldguy, I thought the same about hiding the homeless from the touristas. The empty suit of a mayor has wanted to make the Journey Museum the new homeless shelter, but alas, they turned a profit so that went up in flames for the time being. The old Imperial would be a perfect spot for the Cornerstone to expand. I would think of that like the commercial buildings of Europe with stores on the first floor and living quarters on the next 5. The new School of Mines Dormitories as an example, are what I am talking about. Gas station at the old Albertson’s make perfect sense as that is the way Safeway has been trending for some time and built one adjacent to their store in West Rapid City. Put some food court in like Maverick and there ya go. Maybe the same on the west side of Rapid City as well. Tear down the old building and put up a small grocery with gas pumps and be like Maverick with a food court in it as well. Oh, and of course, get the TIF’s from the city and low interest loans from the state.

  53. Porter Lansing 2017-08-13 11:23

    Great idea, OSarg … Tell me where you live and I’ll come over and coach you up, ‘ya big daisy.

  54. OldSarg 2017-08-13 12:37

    “The new School of Mines Dormitories as an example, are what I am talking about” WR to do that would simply create more slum like areas. The smart thing to do would be to build smaller home units like 3 to 5 apartments throughout the town.

    Porter, I’m right here in Rapid. Come on up. I’ll buy ya a beer.

  55. Porter Lansing 2017-08-13 12:51

    You’re a pretty good guy, Sarg. I’d be happy to meet you. What’s your name?

  56. OldSarg 2017-08-13 12:55

    Sarg.

  57. Porter Lansing 2017-08-13 13:01

    Maybe I’m assuming too much. Maybe you’re not a guy, huh? There are lots of transgendered Sergeants in the military and lots of women Sergeants, too. Maybe that’s why you’re so cryptic. Hmmmmm??

  58. Jake Kammerer 2017-08-13 13:54

    Mr Freed your observations are quite correct! Rapid City is a corporate, good ol’ boy city dedicated to fleecing the Natives, providing liquor to locals (and gas/convenience stores) and always focused on being “as good as Sioux Falls” instead of “the best we can be”! Power here is concentrated as in Repub Pierre gov’t-focusing on how to get the ‘other’ person to pay his share and mine too.

  59. jerry 2017-08-13 14:35

    You know, when I am in Europe, I see those folks utilizing the land because there is not so much of it to squander. These big parking lots with nothing above them, is a waste of space here. You could build residential or office quarters above commercial square footage or the parking lot. Of course for someone who has not actually seen what I am talking about, you could always go see the new slum dormitories over at the School of Mines. Boys, if that is slumming it at the Mines, I think there is a future for us all.

  60. grudznick 2017-08-13 15:11

    We must not infringe upon the free market by forcing grocers to operate where they choose not to. The market will bring food to people if the economics bear it out. If not, we may need to create food delivery services like the Kiawanis and Zontas who can have something important to work on again. A new era of volunteerism for the young and selfish millennials.

  61. grudznick 2017-08-13 15:44

    Mr. Jerry, I am more upset than most about the Hall Inn being closed. What we need in Rapid are a few more good dives like that.

  62. Porter Lansing 2017-08-13 16:32

    Rapid doesn’t need grocery stores. Just go downtown to Talley’s and tell ’em to put it on Grudzie’s tab. He’ll pick up the check. LOL

  63. grudznick 2017-08-13 16:44

    Buffets for many
    said the bald headed oaf.
    grudznick eats for free.

  64. Nick 2017-12-31 11:39

    Hi everyone,

    Please pardon this random question. Does anyone know the address of the Red Owl that used to be in Rapid City? My grandmother worked there in 1951 and I am trying to trace her personal history.

    Thank you and Happy New Year.

  65. Phil cole 2017-12-31 13:42

    Red Owl had 2 locations. One at Baken Park and one on North Maple.

  66. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-12-31 13:59

    Thanks, Phil!

    In Baken Park—was that Red Owl in the same spot as the Family Fare is now?

    North Maple—how far north?

  67. Nick 2017-12-31 14:00

    Thank you Mr. Cole!

  68. Roger Cornelius 2017-12-31 14:17

    Cory,
    Family Fare is the location is the former location of Haggerty’s Dept. Store.
    Boyd’s Drug Store is the current occupant of the old Red Owl Store.
    Remember that Piggly Wiggly was another popular grocery in Rapid City.

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