‘Live in a food desert;’ Family Dollar closure takes resources away from Dayton residents

WHIO Staff
·2 min read

Multiple discount retailers in the Miami Valley are closing, and community members are not happy about it.

By April 20, 35 Family Dollar and Dollar Tree stores across Ohio will have closed their doors for good, according to an official Ohio WARN notice.

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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, the region will see four locations close. Those include:

  • Family Dollar at 440 N James H McGee Boulevard, Dayton (Montgomery County)

  • Family Dollar at 650 N University Boulevard, Middletown (Butler County)

  • Family Dollar at 511 S Breiel Boulevard, Middletown (Butler County)

  • Family Dollar at 199 S. Riverside Drive, New Miami (Butler County)

The WARN notice indicates that around 265 employees will be impacted by the statewide closures.

Dayton Black Panther Party chairman Donald Domineck said the closure of Family Dollar on James H McGee has a major impact on its community.

“It impacts our community profoundly because we live in a food desert. We’re living in an area that’s a depressed area,” Domineck said.

He said many people in the community don’t have the means to travel to get their essentials.

“Anytime a store like this closes, it makes it inconvenient for the people who live in this community because they have to go outside of their community to get their basic needs,” Domineck said.

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Domineck said as part of the Dayton Black Panther Party, he focuses on improving his community.

“We’ve been working with the mayor to decrease crime and drugs in these communities so businesses will want to come in here and invest,” he said.

Overall, Domineck said he wants to see more businesses in his community, and this closure is no help.

According to a previous News Center 7 report, the company announced that about 1,000 stores under the Family Dollar and Dollar Tree brands will close over the next several years.

For the entire list of closures, click here.

We will continue to follow this story.