CDN reader Katie asks:
There’s lots going on at the old SafeCo/hollywood video space at 23rd and Jackson. Any idea whats going in?
Well, it seems the the old Hollywood Video space is going in a direction far less vulnerable to Netflix. Work is underway to transform it into an AutoZone.
The Hollywood Video closed a year ago due to corporate bankruptcy. Since the closure, Island Video in Madison Valley, which had been operating for 30 years, also closed. After the closures, folks in the CD must make the long and difficult trek to Capitol Hill (On 15th Video is the closest non-Blockbuster) or the International District for their video rentals. Or you can try my favorite: The library!
That’s great news!
As an anchor in this commercial center, this is about as far from the right choice that could be made.
So we continue to make 23rd and Jackson a drive-in and drive-out hub – fast food, take-away, and all the trappings of a dysfunctional neighborhood (army recruiting, check cashing, etc).
Save for the Starbucks, there is little reason for people to spend time there.
Look now for people changing oil in the parking lot.
Walgrens has a neighborhoody atmosphere about it, and I have found the pharmacists to be super helpful.
It would be nice to know what the vision is for that portion of the shopping area there is.
I’m guessing rent paying tenants. It’s an investment, not a social experiment.
I understand that a tenant is better than none, but agree that AutoZone is not going to make this shopping center more desirable. For a likely visual, the Schuck’s parking lot at Rainier and McLellan is a trove of oil-change leftovers and other trash.
Isn’t this part of the Promenade Center that’s getting a new owner from Texas?
The closest auto parts store is on Rainier. So in my opinion this is a great addition to the neighborhood. As much as some of you hate cars, the reality is that a lot of people drive them and they need parts. The north half of the Promenade needs a tenant and this store could potentially bring people from nearby neighborhoods as customers. Besides, this was a relatively quick turnover of a vacant space and that is great news for the neighborhood.
When an ice cream store comes to Madrona people complain. Now we get another store in the CD and *surprise* people complain that it’s not good enough/ doesn’t fit their vision of the neighborhood. Like the commenter above I agree that this is a business investment and not a social experiment. I challenge everyone who has something negative to say about new businesses that come to the area to go ahead and open their own business to fit their vision of how this neighborhood should be and what it should sell.
Retail leakage is when folks in a neighborhood don’t have the retail goods they want so they go elsewhere to get it. My family probably spends $100 a year in all the Promenade 23 businesses combined and we can walk there from 20th and Weller. That’s thousands of dollars a year from one family alone that place is missing out on because of the horrible retail options. It needs to be a destination that you want to spend time at not just a big strip mall parking lot you quickly run into and get the hell out of.
Yes, I see your point, Food 4 Thought. This is a tough economy and auto parts are a necessity. What were the results of the focus groups or small meetings that were held recently? It would be nice to spend more of my dollars in the CD.
Opening upstairs will be a cosmetology school. I’m interested to see how that will do and what it will offer the neighborhood.
I agree Auto Zone would not be my first choice. But it is better than empty space and hopefully will offer jobs in the ‘hood.
Perhaps if we could get the muggings and hold ups under control at and around 23rd and Jackson folks will want to spend time here? I barely want to be here…and I live here!
They are worried about the oil slick of a parking lot the O’Reilleys is on Rainier Ave South. My first thought when seeing the headline was one of joy – no longer would I need to get in a car to buy some part or fluid for the car. I can simply walk to the store.
But after the other comments and remembering what the other parking lot is like I see negatives to their presence in that location – not that I have done anything to attempt to build our community shopping center into a mecca for shoppers. In the end it will be the quality of the management that determines how positive or negative its overall effect is.
As far as the appearance of a strip mall, I am not sure there can be any changes that will affect the image post construction. Perhaps with an input of capital into the Red Market portion and good vision we can make it more enticing for people to walk to. I am talking about a multi-story commercial revamp with underground parking and a larger food market and additional retail outlets but I think what is required for this to really become a walking and shopping destination is a restaurant. And I think it has to be a chain name to bring in the customers outside of the walking radius to make it work. Not fast food obviously but not too fancy that it limits traffic. I hate to say it but probably something like the Olive Garden. It is pretty common and liked and unlike a non-chain restaurant it will show up in Google maps and other smart phone apps under name and category. And it will bring restaurant traffic to the smaller and local ones.
Don’t like Olive Garden, your less than 4 blocks from Ethiopian, Pizza, and Ezell’s, etc.
If you own University Village or Bellevue Square, you get to have a vision for your mall. But most malls are just trying to stay at an economic occupancy level that pays the mortgage et al. Promenade was a neighborhood-building effort and hopefully will continue to develop as the market allows. But the video rental business died, there are empty stores everywhere. Getting a tenant in there is good for traffic at this intersection and for the viability of the mall.
I use Walgreens, the banks, Starbucks, and the fast food options pretty often. Over time the market will sort out what businesses this intersection can support. What if the whole shopping center was boarded up? Would that be good for the neighborhood?
Dennis – I have heard comments like that before – that “Promenade was a neighborhood-building effort…” Can you explain that, I don’t really understand its history.
While an AutoZone shop is not my first choice in terms of building a unique character for the neighborhood, it is one that I know I would use occasionally and would welcome being able to walk the 2 block to get what I need, rather than having to drive down to Rainier.
I have to agree with MattOnJackson above as well that an anchor restaurant would likely be a good addition to the neighborhood and help draw people in. Not sure there is actually a remaining space now in the current Promenade layout. Where the old Safeco office now to be a cosmetology school probably would have been the best. Perhaps the new retail space that will open in the new Catholic Community Services building directly to the north could be well suited to a restaurant. Anybody know specifics on whether any of that retail space has already been committed to?
Changing oil in the parking lot there is much nicer than vagrents crapping in public at the good will site, oh wait, there was a great plan once for that site before someone ruined those plans and the neighborhood. Maybe DESC would like to place their inmates at the promanade, wouldn’t you support tht?
Agreed, and I strongly dislike chain restaurants, but an anchor chain restaurant that was family friendly would be great. Even thugs have a hard time operating around children.
As far as everyone’s comments about vision and wanting a Met Market (earlier thread), let’s keep in mind that the Walgreens can’t keep shopping carts longer than two weeks before they’re stolen and sold for scrap.
It is going to take time to change that corner. I welcome the Auto Zone, it light and ‘eyes’ on the sidewalks and parking lot.