Urban Planning gone wrong

[m00n.livejournal.com]

While we are on the topic of community development, does anyone have an explanation for there now being a third convenience store in Teele Square within view of the other two?



Beyond the fact that I don't feel like these stores contribute much (if anything) to the community, I'm kind of wondering how it is that this neighborhood can even support three of them (four if you count the Indian market down the street that sells pretty much all the same stuff).

I don't mean to be such a community troll about these things, but I live in that neighborhood and it is starting to get a little depressing...

Comments

[turil.livejournal.com]

I think that you'll notice is that what the market is willing to bear is lots of junk food (including pizza), cigarettes, alcohol, porn, lottery tickets, and other cheap forms of drugs that dull one into not noticing how crappy the world is doing these days. I'm with you on all of those options you suggest, but you might need to wait until the economy gets better for any of them to happen. Most people don't have the excess money to spend on specialty fruits, veggies, and fungi, at least not enough to keep a whole store in business (the farmers market requires much lower overhead). Most people aren't buying art nowadays. Most people aren't spending their money on specialty breads, or lots of fancy bike parts. Thus, no business owner in their right mind is going to open up a place that sells that kind of thing.

We're lucky to have a few people who aren't in their right minds who at least offer us some of creative, useful places that we do have.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Just because a store is unique doesn't mean it has to be expensive.

Also if this is going to be a time of major upheaval for the Teele Square area (and I'm not quite convinced we're quite as affected by the recession as a lot of the state), then I think it's time to be extra careful not to let the square become overwhelmed with the kinds of businesses are are going to drive down the local property values.