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The following is a discussion about the Westgate Entrepreneurs which originated here.
Writes Tigertree:
Anyone with any level of interest in opening a retail oriented business near West Gate on Broad please attend the meetings at 9 A.M. at the McDonald’s at Consumer Square.
We will be discussing different funding strategies and hopefully coordinating a launch date.
You DO NOT need to have your idea completely ironed out yet; just come with an open mind. You may find the person that is the missing link to the business you want to start.
If you cannot make it tomorrow we will be meeting at the same place, every Tuesday morning at 9 A.M.
I wouldn’t see why not. There was that study done showing the neighborhood is very underserved by retail and has good spending power. The problem with Westgate is that it doesn’t have the urban commercial buildings found in other parts of the Hilltop, except for one block. So not only would a developer need to build here, but a sprawling business would have to close it’s doors first. I don’t know adopting an urban commercial overlay could do in the short term. Otherwise you’d have to set up shop several blocks east in the most intact stretch of the Hilltop.
Now that westland mall is kaput this plan has a pretty decent chance of success imho.
Columbusite has a good point tough most indie retailers don’t have the resources to do property redev and launch their startups
It’s been about a year since we’ve heard anything on Westland Mall, but I was still under the assumption that a revamp of some sort may be in the works for a few more years down the road. I doubt it will be a retail-only mall venture again though. And in the meantime it should give plenty of incentive to west-side retailers to consider this new Westgate option for business expansion/development.
I don’t know that you can use the mall as anything for or against independent retail. It certainly hasn’t helped things around Easton, but there are a few independents around Polaris with great stores, most notably American Furnishings. Not to mention Westgate is a few miles from Westland which might as well be a different country in the world of retail development.
As for resources and cash, we have that covered as a community.
ECDI is a great tool to have in the tool box of business redevelopment and start ups.
Group Secures Grant To Bring Businesses To West Side
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 6:54 AM
A group of dedicated neighborhood activists hope to revitalize a portion of West Broad Street, 10TV News reported Tuesday.
A recent market analysis of the area found that there is not only the space, but also consumer support for a retail renaissance in the area, 10TV’s Glenn McEntyre reported.
The study has helped to fuel interest in a plan to start with a cluster of shops and businesses, with the vision of ultimately transforming the abandoned sidewalks of West Broad Street into something more like the urban bustle of Grandview or the Short North.
READ MORE