Blighted?

When we moved to Glen Carbon, IL in 1989, the Goshen Do-It Center was the closest thing we had to a local hardware store.  Well, that and the hardware aisle at the local Wal*Mart.  Frankly, I was never much of a fan, and would generally head to Fairview Heights to the Central Hardware store, or HQ.  Both of those store are long gone, replaced by a Borders and a Weekends Only.  But supplanted by Lowes and Home Depot, of course.

Anyway, the Do-It Center slogged on. Then a Sears Hardware opened about 600 yards north (per Google Earth).  Still, Do-It hung in.    Then, A Home Depot opened 300 yards away, just across Rt. 159.  I figured that would be the death-knell...  but no.  Finally, a Lowes opened next to Home Depot, only 250 yards away.  Well, enough was enough, and Do-It finally closed.  In fact, the photo above is from the Lowes parking lot.

The site has sat empty for a couple of years.  Meanwhile, next door was a card dealership next door,  but they lost their franchise when GM dropped "underperforming" dealers in the bailout.  It's now a used-car / repair place.

Bottom line, in a few months, both places will be gone and we'll have a brand new Sam's Club.  It's hard for me to mourn a store I seldom visited, and I'm glad to see the derelict land being used, but I'm dreading the traffic.