[Txdev]

I work in development. I agree that in terms of activating space, successful ground floor retail is better than residential. But I also think that successful ground floor residential is better than vacant storefronts.

There is retail space up the road at Vistana that has been vacant for 10 years, and has literally never been occupied, despite a ton of foot traffic and activity from market square and Santa Rosa nearby. The Vistana restaurant space that faces Houston St has had at least 3 tenants open and close in the last 10 years, and these are spaces with lots more traffic than there is on Flores at Encore.

Look at the retail a block up next to the courthouse: a non-brand convenience store, a mom and pop restaurant, a little law office space. There is tons of traffic right there and they can’t even get a Subway or Starbucks to look at them (though as that site is redeveloped, we may see more).

What retailer are you imagining will go in Encore? Everyone wants a hip little coffee/juice bar (but local, not a chain!) that charges $2/drink instead of $5/drink and allows people to sit and have free WiFi and free community yoga all day. Guess what? I’d like that too. But that’s a unicorn.

So I can agree with you that it would be great to have a city with density that can support tons of street retail, and still understand that we don’t, and why it doesn’t make sense in this location.

I feel like we’ve had this conversation before, so sorry if I’m repeating myself.