The Hy-Vee store at 3019 Rockingham Road, Davenport, had an almost full parking lot on Sunday afternoon, May 12. The grocery chain announced the store will close on June 23. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
With Hy-Vee about to close its longtime west Davenport store on Rockingham Road, city officials say they need to look for a replacement grocery store for the neighborhood. “This is going to create a big gap for the west end. I don’t know if Hy-Vee will reconsider their decision, but if not, I feel strongly […]
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With Hy-Vee about to close its longtime west Davenport store on Rockingham Road, city officials say they need to look for a replacement grocery store for the neighborhood.“This is going to create a big gap for the west end. I don’t know if Hy-Vee will reconsider their decision, but if not, I feel strongly that the City of Davenport needs to reach out to other grocers to fill that gap,” Alderman At-Large Kyle Gripp said in an email message to the QCBJ. “I intend to work with Mayor (Mike) Matson, Alderman (Rick) Dunn, and our community development team to see what we can do to ensure the west end of Davenport has a grocery store.” Hy-Vee announced on Friday, May 10, that it will permanently close the store at 3019 Rockingham Road. The closing will come at 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 23.Mr. Gripp and other officials have noted that the upcoming closure will leave neighborhoods around Rockingham Road without a grocery store for the first time in decades. That Hy-Vee store dates back almost 40 years. Hy-Vee leased the former Geifman Food Store building on Rockingham and renovated it in 1985 – increasing its size from 19,500 square feet to about 33,000 square feet. Hy-Vee re-opened the store in December of that year, according to a city history Facebook page.The store’s upcoming closure is also concerning Marion Meginnis, Davenport’s Third Ward alderman.“I am always concerned when access to basic necessities like groceries is reduced. I know the west end Hy-Vee was a longtime and generous contributor to westside food bank efforts, and I will always be grateful for that commitment. I also believe we as a city must begin exploring other options and I am confident staff is already at work on this effort,” she stated in an email to the QCBJ.Hy-Vee officials last week said the Rockingham store’s upcoming closure centers on finances and its inability to meet fiscal expectations. “All employees will be offered a position at another Hy-Vee store in the area, at the same rate of pay and will retain their existing benefits,” the company said in a news release.Pharmacy customers’ prescriptions will be automatically transferred to another local Hy-Vee Pharmacy. Patients will receive a letter in the mail with additional information on the pharmacy that will serve them in the future.The Rockingham Road store’s closure is just the latest Iowa store closure announcement for the West Des Moines-based grocer.Hy-Vee also announced last week it will be permanently closing its store at 1556 First Ave. NE in Cedar Rapids, and a Waterloo store at 2181 Logan Ave., effective June 23. Like the west Davenport store, both those stores are located in historically economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.“Unfortunately, these locations have not consistently met our financial expectations and sales goals over the past several years,” Hy-Vee spokesperson Tina Potthoff said in the release. “Hy-Vee continues to be committed to the Waterloo and Cedar Rapids area through our involvement and continued investments in the local community, and we look forward to serving our customers at one of our other local Hy-Vee locations,” Ms. Potthoff added.In Davenport, customers still have the option to use Hy-Vee Aisles Online for grocery delivery in these areas. Also, pharmacy delivery will be free to these patients.The last Quad Cities store that Hy-Vee closed was its Moline store on John Deere Road on Jan. 1, 2022.
