400 Columbia Street
Salvation Army Thrift Store400 Columbia Street
Utica, NY
C'mon in and push me around
June 13, 2019 - A terribly sad story, one the community was told would not happen. Numerous community groups and governments were going to make their new hospital concept smooth, but it was just another lie...
I went down to the Salvation Army yesterday and spoke with workers there first hand.
All of them have lost their jobs. None have been transferred - not even managers. One gentleman had been working their for 25 years. He has no pension. He has no retirement fund. He planned to continue working their till he was physical unable to. He loved his job. His job put food on his table for his family. And his job was giving back to the community. Soon he will be unemployed in a saturated unemployment market of unskilled workers. Not ONE community organization reached out to them to help find them a job, offer them job training, or offer any assistance.
I am man enough to admit I left teary eyed in hearing their stories. Stories of heartbreak, stories that will never reach the ears of The Community Foundation (as they promised) or local leaders. Why? They do not care.
When they do engage in these communities it is merely tokenism. Remember that.
This Columbia Street location is a very active Salvation Army Thrift Store. Recent interior renovations and upgrades included; new lighting, offices, as well as a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Illustration is from a dated tax map, parcels 18 and 22 may have separate ownership. Parcel 22 neigbors an Open Lot on the west side of the Salvation Army.
These parcels are located in CoLa's Central-West block group. They make-up about 1.5 acres on on the east-end of the 3.6 acre "Salvation Army" block. At the west-end of the block lies a warehouse for Urbanik's Paint & Wallpaper Company located on State Street.
May 23, 2019- Salvation Army's Thrift Store on Lafayette Street in Utica is closing it’s doors...
The @SalvationArmyUS Thrift Store on Lafayette St. in Utica is closing it’s doors June 15th, to make room for the new downtown hospital. Thrift stores in Rome & Ilion are the closest locations to shop or make donations. Officials are looking for a new location in the city.@WKTV pic.twitter.com/O6ahkb3iUe
— earl davis (@edavisearl) May 23, 2019
Photography of the Salvation Army Family Store, as seen looking south-west from the intersection of Layfayette and Cornelia Streets...
Visable in the background, on left, is a partial view of the Kennedy Plaza Apartments.
This location was formerly a Chicago Markets grocery store. It subsequently became offices for Chicago Markets, per a conversation here "How many remember Chicago Markets Supermarkets, and the Yellow Plastic Shopping Cart Logo called, "Bundles" ?"
Manuel Comlnsky, proprietor, started business in 1937 at 436 Columbia Street. Later he moved to a double store at 418-420 Columbia, this second store was purchased from Hamilton College. Chicago Markets' 400 Columbia Street store had its formal opening on February 18, 1949. Several houses and other buildings at the corner location were torn down last Fall to make way for the new super-market. [Ref.]
Grand Opening & "Letters" Of Support
Upon opening, the store bragged about having "...over 7,000 square feet of space, with 8 fully stocked departments." [Ref.]
Comments from social media link above, suggested Chicago Markets owner Mike Kaminski sold his stores to Victory Markets of Norwich, NY.
According to Laura Lane, this location was used to take the 1980 U.S. Census, "I worked there 79- 80, then State St. Census ‘80 office."
We're not opposed to a new hospital, just do not bulldoze Downtown Utica's Historic Columbia-Lafayette Neighborhood... "Build It At St. Luke's!"