About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2011)
Ti V •» r. <. WHAT’S UP IN NEW DEVELOPMENT Nurturing Downtown: I took a recent trip down to Madison, GA recently, having driven through many times, but never really exploring the place properly. It's an attractive town, with a downtown that's not too much smaller than ours. It's got a good stock of well-scaled storefronts, fronting two community squares, and ringed in attractive neighborhoods of historical homes. It's much more lively than most rural town centers, which are more often empty and blighted. It certainly wasn't bustling like Athens' downtown dis trict, though, which is fed by the University of Georgia's pres ence. Without the university, Athens might be lucky to have as much going on as Madison. Madison certainly has done a much better job creating a sense of place that drives tourism in the area than we have here. Of course, these downtowns were built for a reason, and it wasn't selling antiques. So, where did the people go? The necessary functions that urban centers historically provided are now supplied by outlying retail strips, obviously, and for that reason, many folks disapprove of their localities' big-box businesses. Georgia Square Mall killing the Downtown Business District 30 years ago is still talked about. Going Big: But, the business model is changing, with many chains attempting to crack into the urban market with new store designs. It's an interesting phenomenon, with conse quences not only for design, but in terms of the economics involved as well. In large, vibrant cities, there is cause to be alarmed, as those large stores can displace existing historic networks of neighborhood retail and corner groceries. There are many places around the country, though, where those services aren't already being provided. Even many folks who live in and around Athens' urban core head to suburban strips to meet their needs. In that context, the question becomes much more interesting. Consider the Epps Bridge Parkway collection of big-box stores. In 2001, Wal-mart moved from Clarke County to Oconee, taking millions in sales tax with it, but also the traffic, the sea of asphalt and all of the other negatives associated with such an outlying retail giant. If you drive out to these big boxes, you'll see all the people who, once upon a time, frequented central business districts. They're still buying groceries, furniture, hardware and every thing else that's sold there. In places where downtowns have evolved into successful specialty districts (whether for bars, gifts, clothing, antiques or what have you), it's worth wonder ing what the urban big box might do if it were to enter the mix. People have often wished for a full-service grocery in our downtown area, but such a move wouldn't be uncomplicated. What are the pros and cons of a Whole Foods on Hancock, a Costco on Clayton, or a Target on Thomas? Worth Wondering: Big boxes would still have all their usual problems in an urban context, like labor issues for part-time employees staffing them here and in the factories abroad that make their cheap products. However, if the vast majority of the community is already doing most of its shopping at these businesses, might shifting them to a closer-in location reduce some of the driving- and access-related issues? Would a big store, well served by transit and walkable from low-income housing, be better than the same store located at the ends of bus lines (if served at all) and far from the low-income residents of the neighborhoods close to downtown? Moving the jobs inward might provide similar benefits, too, all things being equal. The Vine City neigh borhood in Atlanta, while not analogous to Athens' downtown district, did recently wrestle with the question, when Wal-mart decided to build an urban super center in the area. There's also the question of how big boxes relate to the smaller associated storefronts and outparcels that live along side them in shopping centers. When the anchor tenant leaves, those orphaned shopping cen ters rarely recover. Injecting the customers that big boxes attract into existing downtowns would likely provide a boost that could enliven the currently sleepy retail areas. Nesting big boxes within a more resilient urban fabric would also allow for an easier transition : of the buildings to other uses if the big boxes move, avoiding the "grey field" phenomenon. Other Possibilities: In general, it's much harder for small local businesses to compete than it used to be, and as downtowns like ours succeed, it's worth exploring what the community's vision for those places'$. If we determine as a community that large national chains aren't, in fact, a part of our desires for downtown, then what is? Is a vast surplus of bars definitely part of the mix, or is that a side effect that should be regu lated, as some ACC commissioners have begun to suggest, with, a potential cap on the number of bars? Already, there are subsidies offered to lure certain types of businesses on a larger scale, with big deals offered to facto ries moving into industrial parks. If a particular identity and strength in terms of local businesses is something we're trying to cultivate, what incentives can we offer? One interesting model that's being explored is an adapta tion of the community land trust model used for housing (the Athens Land Trust employs thisjocally—see story on p. 8) wherein a land trust owns the land under a privately owned home. Variations on this "shared equity" model for com mercial space are being explored in diverse locations like San Francisco, Albuquerque and New Orleans, according to a recent article in Shelterforce, the journal of affordable hous ing and community building. What this approach recognizes is that accessible neighborhood retail contributes to the suc cess of residential affordable housing efforts in stabilizing communities. In a global landscape where big companies that can source internationally to cut costs are out-competing the small and local that communities like ours value, we ought to give some consideration to how we can level the playing field. Those big retail giants may be here to stay for the moment, and work ing with them, while it does deserve plenty of wariness, could present some interesting opportunities. Kevan Williams alhensrising@flagpole.com This urban grocery lies on the edge of the South Lake Union district of Seattle, an area undergoing mixed- use redevelopment. Is this new store model something that could enhance local urban neighborhoods 7 Lowest Prices Remodeled • New Owners v ■ t i v ii i v . { ii=| . A ■ fr. U . * tfj 1289 Oconee St. • 706-850-8484 Who knew!!?? Athens Technical College offers English 1101 Comp &? Rhetoric English 1102 Literature &> Comp Math 1127 Intro to Statistics Math 1101 Math Modeling Math 1113 Pre-Calculus Find out how ATC can help you: www.athenstech.edu/admissions or call (706) 355-5004 Drop/Add Registration August 25-21,2011 Small classes * Individual Attention Excellent Instructors ATHENS TECHNICAL COLLEGE S<jn this QR cod* to julomjticdlly visit the Admission* website Welcome Back, Students! S 50FF Haircuts for Students 8 New Clients Expires 9/30/11 hhir studio Appointments Preferred 156-A College Ave. • 706-546-7288 AUGUST 17, 2011 • FLAGPOLE.COM 7
