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

[ron_newman]

This may sound odd coming from me, but if the market won't support all those stores, some of them will fail and close and become something else. Zoning codes don't dictate the exact nature of retail stores, and (due to 'grandfather provisions') I doubt that any of these needed any kind of public hearing to open.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about the market, but that said, I'm actually a little skeptical that all of the forces are playing fair here since I find it so hard to believe that so many could survive together in such a small vicinity.

[ron_newman]

Have you talked to the proprietors of any of these stores about ways they can improve their facades and differentiate their merchandise mix from their competitors? (e.g. suggest that one of them specialize in fresh fruits and vegetables, like Farmer's Bounty in Davis Square?)

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I find the "Neighborhood Market" completely useless, but the "Teele Square Market" has a great selection of Indian food and seems to be more of a family enterprise. I didn't realize a new one had gone into that corner space and haven't checked it out yet.

My preference for convenience (and really awesome Indian groceries) is the store a few blocks down Broadway by North St, because they have a bigger selection (and are right by Guru :).

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I mean, selling curries, rices, and chutneys counts as a specialization of some kind, and they're contributing something to the neighborhood by selling me something that would otherwise be difficult to find. The Neighborhood Market and this new place both appear to be selling basically the same exact things, almost all of which are already available at the two Indian markets (AND Foodmaster, which is like 5 minutes away).

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

But this way, you get the benefit of being able to pay twice the price. Think of the convenience!

[m00n.livejournal.com]

That might not be a bad idea, although the lack of effort at differentiating the place that they've put in so far does not give me a lot of hope...

[dot_fennel]

How long has the third one even been open? It seems premature to declare that they're all surviving.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

And now that I think about it, I wouldn't mind them nearly as much if they didn't seem to do the absolute minimum amount of work to make their businesses look nice from the outside.

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

this. Also, an unnecessary convenience store is better than an empty shop front, right? and that place has been empty for months. Maybe it'll distinguish itself somehow? dunno.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

That's debatable. At least with an empty shop front there is some motivation for the landlord to lower the rent until someone decides to move in. I think it would be to everyone's benefit if the commercial development could do something more for the neighborhood than just paying the rent and taking up space.

[mderidder.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the landlord has lowered the rent so that this person can afford to open a convenience store. As Ron said, if there really isn't demand to support all the stores, then some will fail.

Or are you suggesting that the city (or someone) give approval to every business before it opens?

[m00n.livejournal.com]

It's more like I am suspicious that free market forces are really what is at work here since I find it hard to believe that so many of the same kind of business built so close together really could be surviving if they are paying market rate rent and paying their employees minimum wage, etc.

And some businesses definitely are required to get approval before they move in, and given that convenience stores are so unlikely to increase the overall appeal of a neighborhood (and seem to attract more than their fair share of loitering) I do think at least *some* kind of discussion before one is opened up might not be such a bad idea.

[ron_newman]

Usually when a business requires approval to move in to a pre-existing retail space , it's because it requires more parking than its predecessor (e.g. a restaurant replacing a hardware store), or it needs a liquor license, or it's expanding the square footage of retail. But for the most part, the city can't and doesn't control the normal turnover of commercially-zoned space from one tenant or owner to another.