COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COMPETING AGENDAS ...

At a particular Neighborhood Association meeting I attended, conversation about
the possibility of closing down a community liquor store encouraged heated discussions
between proponents and opponents of the closure. At the meeting, a crowd consisting of
about seventy-five residents was present to voice their opinion about the issue.
Government representatives and the liquor store owner, Daniel, who was of Middle-
Eastern ethnicity, were also present. This meeting drew a large crowd and many of the
residents who had heard of the closure felt passionately about its consequences. Some
residents felt the closure would improve the neighborhood, while others felt it would
have a negative impact on the economy and character of the neighborhood. Many regular
customers saw a need for the market, which makes the neighborhood a “real”
community. Daniel stood up and explained that he was just a simple business owner who
was trying to afford to send his kids to college in the future and he did not want to cause
conflict in the neighborhood. He was desperate because the city wanted to purchase the
market for “not more than fair market value” and Daniel was desperate to protect his
investment. He argued that his business attracted many customers in the neighborhood
and that the site around the store was very peaceful. And while some activists saw the
issue from the owner’s point of view, they also viewed the acquisition of the market as a
solution to problems that have been plaguing the community for decades. In sum, the
city’s plan to buy the markets represented the end of a long struggle for neighborhood
activists.
Although Neighborhood Associations are places for public discussion of the use
of eminent domain in Oak Park, I observed that residents who do not attend these
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