Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack and Congresswoman Cheri Bustos today joined with leaders from the Clinton, Iowa area in calling for a meeting between community leaders and the Target Corporation. Target recently announced they were planning to close the SuperTarget store located in Clinton, which serves over 100,000 people in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. In a letter to Target Corporation CEO, Brian Cornell, the lawmakers called for a delay in closing the store and for a meeting with company executives so Clinton community members could provide additional input. Loebsack and Bustos believe that community input to highlight the positive economic effect that the scheduled opening of the Federal prison in Thomson, IL will have on the area is necessary before the closing occurs.
"We write to request a meeting on behalf of Iowans and Illinoisans who will be significantly impacted by the closure of one of your stores in Clinton, IA. It is our hope that you will consider delaying the announced closure to allow for additional community input and time for local officials to devise solutions that may give Target incentive to stay," wrote the lawmakers. "We believe that local community leaders can adequately show how the positive economic impacts that a federal prison, already estimated to be $100 million annually for the region, and the hundreds of jobs it creates can benefit our local Target store. "[T]his meeting would be a good first step in finding a solution that would benefit both parties. We hope the local community also has a chance to be heard before any further action is taken on the Clinton, Iowa Target."
A copy of the letter can be seen here.
###
