Quote:
Originally Posted by ahealy
The bottom line here is how much of a massive failure Congress Ave is right now retail-wise. We've heard reports from DANA that they plan to make Congress a "shopping destination"....for what? tall boys and marlboro lights?? I remember we were all talking about the possibility of a Target in the AMOA space. BUT 7-11?????! Somebody needs to be fired. I know I sound a bit dramatic, but seriously....theres brooks brothers and some tacky gift shops along with a few shitty restaurants north of 7th on Congress.
We are turing into a big city...and very quickly. I understand that it can't all come together at once, but the foundation that is being laid worries me.
ps. Not to crap all over DANA, but isn't it their job to select the proper tenants to form a habitable urban neighborhood?
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Maybe I'm just being optimistic (and believe me, it's not a trait I typically have), but I'm going to take this as a good sign of the health of downtown. Any time a national retail chain is spotting a deal and acting on it is a good sign. Think about it, 7-11 is very much a pro at assessing markets for profit and opening stores in those markets. I take this as a sign that downtown's retail market is healthy, and that there is demand. Now how that demand is satisfied and whether it's by local retail is another matter. My hope is that these type of stores, 7-11 and Starbucks are more like placeholders until something local and legit can come along. As you say, ahealy, we are quickly becoming a big city, and I think eventually the momentum of growth is eventually going to be such that even smaller local businesses are able to enter into it and have profit.