November marks the closure of two major retailers along West Broadway and Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Park.
The Starlight Center Cub Foods stands empty after coolers, shelves and employees were transferred to other locations throughout the metro. At the neighboring Park Commons Petco, fish tanks were drained and pet supplies sold at steep discounts.
Closures seem to be mounting in the area – with Caribou and Jimmy John’s shutting their doors earlier this year. According to Brooklyn Park Community Development Director Tim Gladhill, residents have voiced increasing concern.
“We started to get a lot of questions on social media and email about what the city is going to do about this area,” Gladhill said. “Vacancies are going to happen in the retail market, but when we start to see clusters, we need to see if there is a role for the city.”
City officials hosted a response meeting Nov. 13 to discuss the recent shutdowns. Members of the public showed up to the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center to share their ideas.