Thursday, August 25, 2011

Discuss: Downtown Retail

Retail is currently focused along Fourth and Trade Streets.

How do we encourage additional retail development downtown?

How do we encourage a broad array of retail stores downtown?

Should we focus on the current retail areas or should we spread retail throughout Downtown?


How important is it to get an urban grocery store Downtown?

Give us your thoughts -- click "comments" below:

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I recently visited NYC and saw a few ideas in use there. Could WS close down 4th street and Trade at differenct times of the week or weekend and invite outside dining and shopping and pedestrian use? Rock the Block and the Wine Tasting event bring thousands downtown. Could we offer this type event more often.

In Chlesea somone converted an empty parking lot into an outdoor skating rink. The pavement required a certain finish, Large orange and white barracades composed the walls around the rink and a POD was used to house and distribute the roller skates. Music was played and creative lighting made it a temporary but festive destination. This would bring FAMILIES downtown. Offer to show movies outside either on lawns in front of Park Vista or against a building with a parking lot.

Bring back Street Scene!!

More Green Effects. Many vibrant downtowns have more areas for folks to sit down and relax, to play checkers, to play corn hole. Many have more plants, potted landscapes, and park like settings. Our downtown has a lot of concrete, brick and asphalt.

Can the city communicate better where free parking is available on weekends. I see folks placing quarters in parking meters when they are not required to do so on weekends.

Finding a good meal between 2 and 5 is difficult. Courtside Cafe, Wachovia Center cafeteria, Diamond Back in Park Building, Murphys Lunch and others close at 2 pm!!!

Anonymous said...

Someone should take on of those old Reynolds building and convert it into a "Market" the type you see up north but are hard to find here. With vendors, fresh fruits, vegetables and meats. Even specality bread and chocolates.

IF you don't have a grocery store downtown and convenient then you will have a hard time retaining residents.

Anonymous said...

Getting a grocery store downtown should, by far, be the single most important priority if you want to retain residents. The fact that I can be mostly pedestrian EXCEPT for going to the grocery store, one of the single most BASIC needs for residential life is ridiculous!

I'm not talking a farmer's market, I'm talking a real. grocery. store. One that stays open past 6PM. One that I can quickly run down to if I forgot an ingredient.

Not having something like this is terrible, and is the only complaint I have about living downtown. PLEASE FIX THIS!!!!!!

Adrian P said...

What we need downtown is a massive pedestrian mall next to a highrise building, which will house residents. The pedestrian mall should be one that will attract small businesses, cell phone companies, grocery stores and etc. This pedestrian mall should be situated near the restaurant row. This will in return attract more museums and major corporations into moving their business there. Which again in return attract even more businesses, which will boost more money into the system, and cause downtown to expand with more houses, more businesses, more parks, and more tourists.

Anonymous said...

A pedestrian mall is not a good idea. It has failed in most every city including ours. Let us not repeat the past.

Adrian Payne said...

Yes. Yes. Let us NOT repeat that. We finally have a chance to have a good and positive impact on downtown retail with a pedestrian mall. I designed one on Google SketchUp 3d a few weeks ago. I could share my Ideas at your next meeting if you would like.

Adrian Payne said...

Yes. Yes. Let us NOT repeat that. We finally have a chance to have a good and positive impact on downtown retail with a pedestrian mall. I designed one on Google SketchUp 3d a few weeks ago. I could share my Ideas at your next meeting if you would like.