Of the 100% who start a retail store 50% are gone in the first six months (in the USA--not here), of the 50% left 25% make it for a full year. Of the 25% left 10% actually make it two years.

But here is the new method of developing strip retail business:
Find an anchor, give them a long term contract at one half price, and build several more junkers! The anchor will pay most of the long term debt and one-half of the others will pay the rest of the overhead.
It used to be that appreciation of value would allow further borrowing against the asset for years. That has melted lately.

Some empties does not bother the investors as long as the value at least holds even.

As to a town looking junky from all this----who cares--- if they let us build them.

These developers come in, make demands and threats, get what they want regardless of what the community wants, line their pockets and move on. They do not care about our neighborhoods, after all, the majority do not live in the area or even the state. We do not know yet what kinds of stores are going in, we are entirely in the dark. The developers make promises, get their concessions and all of a sudden the things they promised are no longer there. They are constantly changing things and never for the better How do they get away with this? Because we have several people on our City Council who do not give a tinker's damn where our community is concerned. One is a buffoon and the other two act as his lackeys. Can't wait til we get them out of office and get a few more like Haddix and Sturbaum in office--hope it isn't too late by then.

Much of this dates back to the day of Lenox and Brown. Harold, with eyes at half mast, just gives them a thumbs up as he raises his moonshine jar.

It's not just the retail stores. It's one more tire shop 500 yards away from another. And, they said a Hooters would be a bad idea? The problem is...we don't even know what the west end of PTC is "supposed" to look like. Maybe the developer (con) can post an artist's rendition on the Citizen as to what this "retail" place is going to resemble. I'm still waiting for a decent traffic plan for this area. Oh yeah, and a bridge.

I generally believe that the only purpose for consultants is to spend more money to prolong the problems. But, maybe PTC is in need of one.

Maybe I'll run for mayor. It will give me a good excuse to drink.

"A mans potential can be measured by his ability to cook french fries."

The property you seem to be referring to (across the street) has been zoned commercial long before this current administration took over. What would you have recommended they do that would be legal and not lead to a lawsuit? The recent vote was to increase the center from 150,000 square feet to 175,000 feet. Do you feel the extra 25k feet is going to be the ruination of PTC? Did you analyze the extra buffers/landscaping etc that was added for this 25K square feet?

We all knew the Segway was doomed, and sandwich shops come and go.

I'm curious as to your answers.

It is true the ugly strip mall stores that are more than half empty were built before harold took office.

harold and company gave a variance to one buisness to overlook our big box ordinance which leaves it wide open now for every buisness to apply for the same if they want to. What harold could have done to control the mess is not sell the city streets below market value and not approve the variance.

Instead harold and company approved an ugly big box that will be used for drug buys for the cops, thats about it. The cops already had walley to use, did they really need a new place for drug buys?? Couldn't they just use the cart paths for their drug buys like the kids do??

At this point PTC has so many empty stores and restaurants I doubt that it is still considered to be a good place to locate to for any buisness. Most corporate offices will come here take one look around and come to the conclusion that money is not being spent here. One look at the ugly dated older shopping areas would be enough to turn off most people. The Avenue is the only thing that looks halfway decent.

I think the point is what harold and company could do is require any buisness that wants to move here to move into one of our many empty buildings before cutting down more trees.

So basically, not selling the streets would have kept it at 150,000 square feet, and you would have been fine with that? You do know, that it could have been that big, yes? More streets to keep up for the City, and 25K less square feet. You really think that would have made a big difference? Throw in less buffers/landscaping and we have the perfect development in your mind.

The Big Box was allowed YEARS ago when the Braelin Kroger and K-Mart were approved. If it had been left to me, I wouldn't have approved any of them, but once ONE is allowed, it's basically out of control (ordinance or not). That being said, at least none of the recently approved stores come anywhere near as large as the two Krogers/Walmart/K-Mart/Home Depot.

One more thing, we agree on the Avenue, it looks good. I get tired of every new Developer saying his development will look "just like the Avenue". So far, they haven't come close, by any of them.

Yes, I think selling the city streets was a mistake. They weren't heavily traveled, so not much cost in upkeep. I don't think this new store will generate much in the way of tax revenue.

Ugly riverdale/old national hwy. look just doesn't sell.

Have a good day.

I think we agree on more than we disagree.

And I'll add one more thing, these blogs are crazy lately with all the folks being too chicken to answer a few questions.

That the property was zoned industrial. I don't see it being viable as Industrial myself.

I'm not in favor of anything multi-family unless it's College related.

There are simply tons, and tons of people who want to live stacked up in condos next to railroad tracks. They get to listen to the neighbors flush their toilets and the trains at the same time.

Why would we want to ruin that kind of "fun"? Just because WEAZEL hasn't sold all of his cluster homes yet?

PS: You just insured that this project, and it will be the "projects" will get approved by objecting to it. This council loves to approve of everything the citizen taxpayers don't want.