In light of the tragic shooting of 13 innocent people at the Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo on May 14, we request that Wegmans actively pursue opening a store in the Towne Gardens Plaza at Jefferson Avenue and William Street in Buffalo. The Towne Gardens Plaza is largely vacant (see photo). A supermarket previously there closed several years ago. This petition began at Ss. Columba-Brigid Church, which is 2.2 miles away from Tops and three blocks away from Towne Gardens, and has spread to other Buffalo-area churches.

Opening a Wegmans at that location would serve two main purposes. 

First, it would address the lack of a full service supermarket in that part of Buffalo. We support grass roots efforts by neighborhood groups and cooperatives to make healthier food available throughout the East Side of Buffalo, but only a full scale supermarket can meet the diverse needs of the residents. The shooter knew he would encounter many shoppers at that particular store because there is no other supermarket nearby to provide competition. The area surrounding Towne Gardens Plaza is a "food desert" as it is low-income and more than one mile from a large grocery store or supermarket (1.8 miles from Tops). 

Secondly, a Wegmans in Towne Gardens Plaza would lessen the effect of segregation in Buffalo. The Tops shooter chose the Jefferson Avenue store not just because it would be crowded, but because most of the shoppers would be African-American. Buffalo's highly segregated East Side sorely lacks venues where people of different races come together and mix easily. A Wegmans in Towne Gardens would be within a one-mile radius of a diversity of neighborhoods, including Larkinville, the Old First Ward and downtown. It would strengthen the city's social fabric by providing a place for people of all backgrounds to shop and socialize. More so than a discount supermarket, Wegmans would attract shoppers reflecting a wide diversity of races, ethnic groups, and income levels.

Wegmans supermarkets have earned the highest reputation in the nation. Opening a Wegmans in Towne Gardens Plaza would not just provide an excellent shopping experience for an underserved neighborhood, but also make a bold statement about Wegmans' commitment to a region that has loyally supported it for years, and a city that has just suffered its most devastating tragedy. If we get enough signatures, our hope is that Wegmans management will agree to meet with a group of pastors, parishioners and other community leaders to discuss this proposal.