Monday, May 27, 2013

Ramble 29: Target is the Target...

Let's face it, Marge is a busybody. In general, though, she's a busybody who tries to not overwhelm readers with her more...pungent...Points-of-View. She agrees that there is a time to shut up ...and that there's also a time to put up. Today is a time to put up. In this case, it's a time to put up...more pictures. Besides, this is not Marge's first foray into this topic: Target.
Truth in advertising: Marge is not a fan of the up-and-coming Target at Alameda Landing. And, no, hers is not simply a case of NIMBY - at least, not a simple case of NIMBY - for Marge sometimes shops at Target - usually the Emeryville store.
Marge wonders, however, why the City of Alameda - a town of 72,000-or-so souls, not all of whom are regular shoppers - needs its very own 200,000-plus square feet offering Target goodies? For, hundreds of thousands of square footage of the self-same Target goodies are available within a six mile radius of any Alameda exit: El Cerrito, Albany/Berkeley, Emeryville, Hayward, and San Francisco; San Leandro's Target, once located off Davis Street, is now a Walmart. 
Here's how Marge thinks about it: since Americans LOVE to drive and, since Alamedans are Americans, why don't Alamedans drive to any of the surrounding Targets? (Here's a map with directions.)
(What's that you ask? Shouldn't Marge - the proponent of public transportation, promote not driving? Consider this: a round trip, one-person-per-vehicle trip of 12 miles costs about $2 to $3 - even in a clunker like Marge's at, say, $4 per round trip - no toll to Targets on the east side of the bay - is a lot cheaper than selling one's land to a venture like Target that takes over the land, the mentality, and the mindset of residents.)
If Alamedans had come together we could have agreed that the acreage now devoted to Target at Alameda Point could have been dedicated to something more sustainable and life-affirming than Target shopping. Because, it is not only that most of don't really need more "stuff", nor do any of us need more of the by-product that goes into creating, using, and disposing of that "stuff."
For example, think of all the fuel and human creativity that goes into creating "stuff": plastic and synthetic materials used huge amounts of fuels - and give off huge amounts of poisonous vapors, etc; transporting stuff from China to the Target distribution centers and then to Alameda (and surrounding cities with Target stores), human creativity is wasted marketing and promo'ing to persuade shoppers that they "need" that stuff, then packaging and wrapping that "stuff" so shoppers can carry it home, then the oodles of various kinds of energy to dispose of the wrapping...and the stuff itself when we tire of it and toss it out...and go purchase more "stuff." (Check out Annie Leonard's excellent and easy to watch and understand presentations of "stuff" for a deeper look into this.)
Aaaahhh. Mind boggling.
Below is the latest set of photo of Target's "evolution". Or, before looking at this set, see the earlier Ramble with accompanying batch of pix: Target's coming to town. (This slideshow is a running pictorial commentary on Target from October 2011.)




Get used to seeing this logo. It is also the first thing anyone - including first time visitors to our town - sees emerging from the Webster Tube.
To Marge this is THE symbol of what's happening in town as City Fathers and Mothers turn over our once-sleepy town to vast, anonymous corporate interests who funnel our money out of our town...except for the relatively minor amounts of sales tax of which the City only gets a very small percentage anyway.
 The picture above and the next 3 below look north toward the estuary and Oakland's Jack London Square in the background.



 This one looks towards the west, estuary behind Marge; Marina Village to her left.
 Taken from the parking lot of Mariner Square gym looking north toward the estuary. Here, Target is behind the gym and this view shows what will become the edge of the residential area...or parking lot serving Target.

This picture, looking northwest toward Coast Guard Housing, is the location of the future residential area of Alameda Point. Interestingly, it is also the site of the former Navy Fleet and Industrial Supply Center - "FISCA" - a brownfield although no one mentions that, least of all the City Fathers and Mothers.

No comments:

Post a Comment