The 7-Eleven is slated to open its doors at 8157 N Lombard—currently an empty lot just on the edge of St. John's downtown. Neighbors are mad because the market would be the neighborhood's third 7-11 and will be "blight at the gate of our neighborhood," in the words of one resident who signed the neighborhood's anti-7-Eleven petition. Residents also worry it will hurt the business of St. John's Deli and Grocery, a little locally-owned shop that's been located two blocks from the proposed site since 1979. Deli owner Kevin Lee says he will have to cut back his employee's hours if the new 7-Eleven opens up.
7-Eleven representative Tom Noble met with the neighborhood association to discuss the new shop, but residents upset about the new store say they were "disappointed" with the discussion and now organizers of Occupy St. Johns are calling for a picket of the proposed site at 3pm on Friday the 13th to call out the "surplus of convenience stores" in the area.
