Quote:
Originally Posted by artvandelay
It's tough to add new retail to that area when many of the existing retail bays in the area are sitting vacant or are under-leased.
The streetfront design of many of the ugly late 90s/early 2000s condos also leave much to be desired. Avenue isn't fantastic but it should be a solid addition to the area.
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The last time I was through the area (a few weeks back) all retail units on 6th Ave were occupied. I know there was a time when a number of them were vacant, but I imagine the rental rates and dropped and eventually it made enough sense for a few destination time companies to move-in (law firm).
To me, the inner-city retail market is far too fragmented - you have a few blocks with a few shops, then it disappears, then starts again. It's not convenient for people that want to walk and shop, which means fewer people are out on the streets and this hurts retailers that in turn aren't able to sell enough to cover their overhead.
I think Calgary could do with a significant increase in retail to make better connections with the fragmented small strips. If that happens, I think you would end up seeing a lot of the shops you see in places like Chinook and Market Mall want to have a street retail presence in the inner city.