Aldi…this is where I am at
(click on image for full view)
Here we are…almost thirty years since Sattler’s occupied 998 Broadway and almost ten years since K-Mart closed up shop.
Aldi, the low price supermarket who have popped up all over WNY and Buffalo over the last decade has its sights set on Buffalo’s famous 998 Broadway address.
I am not opposed to Aldi setting up shop across from the Broadway Market. My thinking is that they will draw people to the area who would typically not go…even if a small percentage of that crowd would go to the Market, that is a bonus. As for it’s impact on Save-A-Lot (a similar supermarket) inside of the Market, that is what the free market and competition is all about.
What I do have a problem with is the store being set back off Broadway…the store should be as close to the street as possible. I don’t think it is too much to ask Aldi to do.
I think Aldi could also lead to the redevelopment of the K-Mart building if successful and help with drawing commercial interest to other properties in B-F business district.
Look at the picture above…it is of an Aldi in Minneapolis built to the street. Having a 998 Aldi built to the street will fill a void that has been there since Sattler’s was demo’d in 1987.
Hopefully Aldi will not pull out from the project and become an active partner in making things work to make B-F better.
