I respectfully disagree. Don’t get me wrong, I want to see more urban retail back home, but I’m looking at this from a market perspective.
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Originally Posted by wwmiv
You've got the be kidding, right? It's located at the end of the N/S street that cuts through the heart of the Pearl, Karnes, … it isn't off the beaten path at all… even if the particular thing right across the street does itself not have retail.
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That is a long walk. To keep pedestrians moving – and get them to come back – they need to pass something new about every 5 seconds. Ten is a stretch. I’ve walked that block a few times and I have no desire to do it again. They could convert the ground level apartments to retail and fix that. It would be pricey.
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Originally Posted by wwmiv
And even more: its on the main frontage of I-35 which is among the most visible locations in the entire city. The daily car traffic alone is enough to generate tremendous visibility for any business that occupies those locations which would guarantee their success.
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There’s a difference between visibility and customers. Car traffic count is a great measure for suburban retail, not for the pedestrian-focused retail you’re advocating here. Urban retail depends on pedestrian counts.
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Originally Posted by wwmiv
And if you think the Samuels Glass Co. building would be a good spot for commercial space (which I agree -- it screams for a restaurant or event flexspace in an adaptive reuse), then why not pair that with retail across the street…
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If Silver Ventures owned both, I’d agree 100%. That they don’t own the building means that Samuel’s probably wants an exorbitant amount of money. Silver Ventures has bought up as much of the surrounding land as they could so they could stitch it all together. My guess is they couldn’t reach an agreement so they’re planning for this building to be on its own for a bit.
The new office building will be another great shot in the arm to help make more retail make sense. I’m very excited for that development! For those who really want to see more ground level retail space right now – talk with your neighborhood associations and City Councilmembers. The City Council could easily pass an ordinance requiring all new center city developments to incorporate retail frontage on the ground level.