Weis supermarket on Conklin Avenue is preparing to shut its doors for good, removing a neighborhood grocery store option from Binghamton’s South Side residents.
At a Tuesday night town hall organized by Binghamton City Council, local legislators, community advocates, organization leaders and residents spoke of the effects the store’s closure may have on the area, and potential solutions moving forward.
On Wednesday morning at the Conklin Avenue store, there were no signs to indicate the store’s upcoming closure, but a manager at the store said they would be shutting the doors in early March. Weis’ corporate communications office has not returned a request for comment.
Binghamton residents fear Weis departure will create food desert
On Tuesday night, the tone was somber. Over a dozen people stepped up to speak and share their thoughts, with another dozen emails being read into the record. On the podium, many speakers referenced their own experiences with food insecurity, and the problems the Weis store’s closure could pose for the community.
According to Binghamton City Council President Hadassah Mativetsky, who represents the South Side, Weis did not reach out to any government body regarding the closure of the store, and did not provide any reason for its decision.
Binghamton’s North Side neighborhood, which many speakers referenced, existed as a food desert for over two decades before Greater Good Grocery store opened in 2021. With Weis gone, many Binghamton residents expressed their fear a repeat is just around the corner.
Mary Kaminsky, who serves as Broome County Legislator for District 14, said her constituents in the North Side had to deal with a food desert for years, and explained the negative impact on local citizens.
“I constantly heard how difficult it was for our residents, and how expensive it was,” said Kaminsky. “Bussing is very difficult, especially for anybody who has small children. It is very difficult for our local families and marginalized citizens.”
Les Aylesworth, director of the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW), said waiting another 25 years for a community grocery store is not an option. According to Aylesworth, CHOW, which provides food to community organizations and pantries free of charge, will be able to pick up some of the slack created by Weis’ departure, but a more permanent solution must be achieved.
Solutions proposed in light of Weis closure
Speakers proposed multiple solutions at Tuesday’s meeting, including creating direct transportation from the South Side to an existing grocery store, replacing Weis with another store or replacing the supermarket with a community food co-op.
Multiple speakers said existing transportation systems will not be sufficient for shoppers without a car. If traveling on foot, the closest grocery stores are over a half-hour away from the Conklin Avenue location. Another Weis store on Binghamton’s South Side is located on Pennsylvania Avenue.
With the bus system, multiple transfers may be necessary to reach a grocery store, and people will be limited in how much they can carry, given the nature of public transportation. For families with children, this problem can be compounded, and for those in financially precarious situations, paying two bus fares can make the difference in affording necessities.
A direct bus line to other grocery stores would ease some of these concerns, but speakers emphasized the importance of a walkable grocery store for families and older residents.
David Currie, who serves on the board of The Network for a Sustainable Tomorrow, said a food cooperative would not only present a solution to food insecurity caused by the closure, but also a way for community members to gain financial freedom.
“There is the possibility of re-starting the grassroots effort to open a cooperative food store, which serves as a community-building anchor, and most importantly prevents the leakage of money to distant, non-local enterprises,” said Curry. “This is an important way to accelerate local financial common wealth.”
According to Curry, local residents could acquire equity in the food co-op, and thus increase their own capital in the process.
Many residents and local leaders also raised the possibility of a new grocery store in the same location.