Quote:
Originally Posted by pbenjamin
The reality is a ton of empty storefronts, unlikely to be occupied, so long as we keep adding to the inventory.
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Remember when Summit and 44 Monroe sat vacant for a year+? Did developers respond by building single-family homes throughout downtown as they waited for the market to pick back up? No. They did two things: 1) they got creative and changed their strategy from attracting luxury condo buyers to high-end rentals; 2) other developers ceased high rise condo construction and moved onto segments of the market that were financially feasible and in demand: student housing, senior housing, low income housing.
Building single-use projects in the central city is the equivalent of developers building single-family homes throughout downtown proper. Even if the storefronts were all vacant (which I don't believe to be true- I don't know how much more evidence I need to provide) now, every plan - all 101 of them - calls for Central Ave to be an extension of the live/work/play model created downtown. For that vision to be implemented, we need to build the infrastructure today that will support such an environment, and 1-use buildings are not doing anything to help reach that long-term goal.
Terpentyne - you're right on the money and thank you for making me feel like I'm not going crazy. Is there a surplus of retail in the city, yes? Is there demand for increased residential? Yes. As more population fills vacant land, more retail will fill those empty storefronts to service them. Everyone talks about the desire for a walkable neighborhood with grocery, cleaners, hardware, etc. all in walking distance. How do you propose that happen if there is no space for these services within walking distance of light rail?
Developers need to follow the model set by Summit and 44 Monroe: change strategies and get creative. They can't control what is built around them, but they can learn the ins and outs of their neighborhood, identify gaps, and actively pursue companies within that sector. Additionally, being on Central means that their retail will be visible and accessed by more than just nearby residents: bars, museums, unique/high quality restaurants, unique-to-Phoenix clothing, etc. are all segments that could be marketed toward to hit those consumers.
Lastly, as with residential developers limiting projects' height/density for the time following the recession, a smarter strategy for mixed use projects' viability right now would be to include only 1 retail space per every __ amount of square footage. Central doesn't need to be lined with Tapestries where the entire ground level is retail space; but, it can't be miles upon miles of non-interactive pedestrian uses or Midtown is no more urban than Gilbert.
Lastly,
pbenjamin - where are you seeing these empty storefronts, aside from Tapestry? The ones I see are either outdated or highly hidden from the main road. Is there a class system for retail like there is for commercial? I bet Class A space would be much higher than you think. CityScape is completely leased; Luhrs is 90% leased, though nothing has opened yet; AZ Center is close to 100% leased; Roosevelt Row and Evans Churchill (Portland-Garfield, 7th St - 7th Ave) is close to 90% aside from Roosevelt Pointe, but their rates have to be incredibly high for the typical small business - it's no surprise their one tenant is an architect. Anyway, my point is that retail is doing well in many areas and if you look at each one I listed, you'll notice that it is located in the middle of/next to a cluster of retail-business-residential (sometimes). They don't have the holes across the street that businessesin Midtown have to deal with, but we can't build thinking that they'll stay vacant.
I'm curious, though I doubt you made it this far, what is your suggestion for remedying the current vacancies, and for new construction on Central? You believe 1-use should continue until vacancies drop? Where do you propose placing future retail services if so, and do you not feel the city's vision for Central being an urban boulevard is reasonable?
This is the chicken-egg problem that happens when your central city serves - or attempts to serve - both residential and business segments. When done right, it creates a very diverse, denser, usually taller downtown. But, it raises many issues like noise control, retail uses, appropriate heights, and trying to keep a steady balance of development and retail that keeps the entire downtown 24/7. NYC was mentioned, but even they have districts. Most clubs or major nightlife is on the lower end, or west end which used to be trashy, but has now overgentrified like most NY neighborhoods. Park Ave is essentially business-only, and most ground levels are simply lobbies with plazas and sometimes a starbucks. But, with their grid system which we destroyed in Phoenix, you barely notice as a pedestrian, because the streets are all filled with retail. The only exception would be the upper east side, where the streets are lined with Brownstones. Some are live/work, but most retail is centralized around Lexington, which is a very convenient and easy walk.