FRANK JACKSON'S COLLAPSE on the "big box grocery ordinance" will cost inner-city neighborhoods several more closed supermarkets as other chains respond by disinvesting. You might see poetic justice in the fact that the new Dave's store at Arbor Park Place, which Jackson helped open so proudly in November, will be one of the most endangered.

The disinvestment won't happen overnight, because of the agreement to bar a Steelyard Commons Wal-Mart from opening a grocery section for seven years. But it will happen. Seven years will seem like a very short time once it's gone. (As John Ryan of the AFL-CIO says, "Seven years is a shorter stay of execution than the average murderer gets.")

For other Cleveland neighborhoods hoping to win new supermarkets as anchor stores for local plaza developments, it's back to the ol' drawing board. Both sides of City Hall, and both major candidates for Mayor (not to mention distant third-runner Zack Reed), are now competing to throw the keys to the city at Wal-Mart's feet. If you think Tops, Giant Eagle and Dave's will respond by throwing more money into risky plays in this market, I have an old blast furnace I'd like to sell you.

So now can we start calling it "Wal-Mart Commons"?
A