Commentary
By Gary Kopycinski
We’re happy to welcome a Dollar General Store into our DownTown, thank you.
I read a comment from an individual who shared one of my stories from Facebook on his own Facebook profile. The story he shared, Frame Rises for DownTown Park Forest’s Dollar General Store, was accompanied by this wonderfully intellectual observation, "A town that once had Sears, Goldblatt’s, Field’s and many others is excited about this. How f***ing sad and tragic."
Sad and tragic? Rather, [expletive] sad and tragic? Really? Are we talking Shakespeare tragic, or more like the the-Coyote-fell-off-a-cliff-chasing-the-Road-Runner tragic?
Because there’s a difference.
Look, it’s easy to blame an entire town for past economic failures. The reasons Sears, Goldblatt’s, and Field’s left Park Forest are legion.
Goldblatt’s! Let’s start there. When was the last time you shopped at Goldblatt’s?
It’s been a while. The company closed completely around the year 2000, and in 2003, liquidated.
Maybe it wasn’t such a wise move on Goldblatt’s part to leave Park Forest? Maybe they tried to grow too fast? Perhaps they closed too many stores? Or maybe, maybe, they just made bad business decisions that have nothing to do with Park Forest government officials or Park Forest residents.
Maybe. Just maybe!
What, then, about Marshall Field’s, acquired by Macy’s in August 2005. Could it possible be that Marshall Field’s, and not the village government in Park Forest, or the residents of Park Forest, made bad business decisions? Is it possible that, had Marshall Field’s remained in Park Forest and stopped trying to reinvent themselves or their business model, Marshall Field’s might still be in Park Forest today? Perhaps applying for permits to remodel their once-grande Park Forest store?
Let’s get serious.
DownTown Park Forest lost its business base because businesses made decisions to leave, some to the Interstate exchange at I-57 in Matteson, some further north, and some simply collapsed.
Park Forest did all it could to retain businesses. But, face it, folks, even a fast food restaurant has far different traffic-patter requirements than they did in 1958.
We are rebuilding Park Forest. DownTown Park Forest. We are re-imagining Park Forest, working ever-so-hard to return Park Forest, not to what it was, but to what it can be, and more.
Shop Park Forest first. There are stores on Sauk Trail, there’s a food co-op in the DownTown. There’s a dry cleaners in the DownTown, as well as a gym, and other businesses.
Shop Park Forest first.
You never know what you might find, and it just may be the last place you need to shop.
There’s nothing tragic here, Shakespearian or otherwise.
There’s just Park Forest, and Park Forest residents, with enough "disposable income" to support many businesses, for years to come.
Gary Kopycinski is editor and publisher of eNews Park Forest and a village trustee in Park Forest. His reporting is his own. eNews Park Forest, Inc. is an independent media company and is not affiliated with the Village of Park Forest in any way.
