Marshall Grain, Longtime Staple in East FW, Moving North

A longtime Fort Worth business is moving on. The Marshall Grain and Feed store has been around for 70 years in East Fort Worth, but the owner now says crime and panhandling is forcing a move and while the original owners may have gone west, the business is now following today’s trend – north.

The final customers stopped into Marshall Grain in Fort Worth Thursday afternoon, feeling their way through aisles they’ve roamed for decades.

“This store has practically everything I need,” said customer Mickey Hamilton.

But by Thursday there were more going-out-of-business signs than home and garden products left for sale.

“I saw the signs and it was like oh no! I hate it because it’s been such a part of the neighborhood and I recommend it to, I don’t know how many people,” said longtime customer Sandra Williams.

Owner Jim Connelley had high hopes when he bought the place from the Marshall family in 2005.

“That the area would improve somewhat over the years and that really hasn’t happened,” said Connelley. “If anything it’s gotten a little bit worse over the years and we have many customers who are afraid to come to this particular store.”

He says there have been several burglaries there and panhandlers, sometimes aggressive, come up from nearby social service agencies, turning customers off.

“I don’t feel as safe,” said Williams. “I don’t go there after dark.”

Now the empty shelves mirror the neighborhood outside, slowly draining of other businesses that could bring life to the area.

Instead, like so many before, Marshall Grain is heading north, to consolidate operations at a second location in Grapevine.

“The places on the East side and the South side typically fall apart,” said Williams. “I don’t know what it is about those cardinal directions, but it seems to happen that way.”

Connelley says he approached the city many times about encouraging redevelopment in the neighborhood.

“But were really met with a lot of indifference and sometimes they’ve said they’re going to do something and then nothing really happens,” said Connelley.

So a business with deep roots…

“This is like an old timey store,” said customer Shirley Gipson.

…Prepares to plant its seeds in a new location, leaving open land behind.

“You can’t do business in an area where people don’t want to come to shop,” said Connelley.

The city's economic development director told NBC5 they know East Lancaster is a challenging area and that city council just this week approved stronger incentives for development in neighborhoods like that, to bring new business to now another empty lot.

Marshall Grain closed its Fort Worth location for good at 6:00 p.m Thursday night. The location at 3525 William D. Tate Ave. in Grapevine remains open.

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