What kind of NEW Businesses would you like on Washington Ave?
The Heart of Brooklyn (located in a small storefront on Washington near EP) is seeking ideas on what kind of NEW businesses you would like to fill the twenty-four (24) still empty storefronts on Washington Avenue.
http://www.heartofbrooklyn.org/
Sorry, they aren't interested in hearing from people who would like even more Food/Bars and Hair/Nail Salons.
They are looking for NEW businesses that the community would financially support. Entities that you think would be economically sustainable.
If they get some good ideas, they will actively out reach to businesses in other parts of the city providing similar services and "pitch" the benefits of opening a location here.
In addition to getting ideas via this thread and other web means, they will be requesting input at the Economic Development Committee of Community Board 8. This committee will next meet on Feb 12, 2013 at 6:30pm at CNR on 727 Classon Avenue, corner of Park Place.
Please note: whynot_31 does not represent Heart of Brooklyn or CB 8. This post merely solicits comments that will be forwarded to them.
Let the jabbering commence....
Mods: Sorry for the double post. Washington Ave is the dividing line between PH and CH, so I figured two posts was the way to go.
Comments
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-Bagel Store-Subway Sandwiches
-Healthfood store (should I strike this one too?)
-Chase Bank
-Housing Works Thrift Store-Automat
"'Sorry, they aren't interested in hearing from people who would like even more Food/Bars and Hair/Nail Salons."
LOL
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Those are some good ideas.
I was actually psyched to learn that they are taking efforts to diversify the avenue's businesses.
HOB has been a major force in organizing some of the street clean-ups and the little street fair, Washington Rocks.
I think a Subway Sandwich place is inevitable ...Washington is a slightly less than prime ave, with small storefronts that would be ideal for a non "deep fry" business.
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FWIW (a GNC might not be so bad)
"Dunkin Donuts remains the most robust chain in New York City, with 484 stores (up 18 from last year).
Subway, however, is closing the gap fast. It now has 454 stores in New York City, with 24 new ones added in the past year.
The rest of the top ten include Starbucks (272 stores); MetroPCS (261 stores); Duane Reade (246); McDonalds (241); Baskin-Robbins (200); Rite-Aid (196); T-Mobile (174); and GNC (143)."
http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2012/12/6899389/chain-store-city-dunkin-donuts-still-leads-subways-coming-fast -
I haven't seen a lot of those chains in areas with as little foot traffic as Washington.
I think we would support some additional lawyers and accountants, in small offices. I've been impressed with all of the dentists and MDs that have opened up shop.
...I think there is probably 6 or so on the Ave now.
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We need a pet supply store. The one on Vanderbilt is too expensive and too far to lug cat litter and food all the way back to Washington. Chase Bank would be nice too.
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-Butcher Shop
-Fish store
-Fruit/Vegetable Store -
I agree with pet supplies or a really good fish market.
Jay B Acme pet foods will deliver, for free if you buy a certain amount.
ETA:I would also love a GOOD, hardware store. I can't tolerate Mayflower and everything else is really far away.
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-Seconding a good hardware store
-a grocery store with later hours
-Also seconding a produce store
-a drugstore with later hours and a selection of generic products rather than just expensive name-brand stuff (so, probably a chain)
-a bakery
-a coffee roaster
-combination Pizza Hut & Taco Bell
[video]
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I do think we now have enough foot traffic to support our own fish place. Presently, the closest place with fish is Compare.
Yes, if I could waive a magic wand, Mayday Hardware (tate, you were very close with "MayFLOWER") would up its game, or sell its large site to the presently small Thriftway drug store.
Thriftway would then provide Duane Reade-level service, hours and selection.
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Now, is when I say NA-NA-na-NA-NA to all of you "we're actually in Prospect Heights" folks. Nostrand has two fish markets (one of which does a slamming steamed fish pot lunch)!
Businesses I think would add to Washington
- An old fashioned stationary/office supply place
- A sandwich shop
- Bookstore
- An upscale 99 cent store (where you could get low cost sundries)
- Some professional (doctor, dentist, accountants, veterinarian, etc) office space -
Lincoln Station (which will open soon on Lincoln, near Washington) will likely fill many people's desire for sandwiches.
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A Bookstore would be great and also pointed out on parallel thread-
But how sustainable?
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&q=bookstore+closing&oq=bookstore+closingI second the "fancy" 99 cent store
How about Jacks (a smaller version?) expands in Brooklyn... that would be awesome.
http://jacks99world.com/locations.asp -
I like the idea of a Jacks!
This thread is doing a little better than the other in terms of abiding by the parameters:
"Sorry, they aren't interested in hearing from people who would like even more Food/Bars and Hair/Nail Salons."
Good job! Keep the ideas coming.
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While a bookstore might not be able to work, perhaps a comic book/toy store?
A spa?
Vintner?
Day care/afterschool center?And I think if you could get someone to put in a set of doctor's suites with GP, Pediatrician, Dermatologist, Nutritionist, and Holistic/Herbalist, it would take off like a rocket.
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comic book store
would be terrific... but I would question sustainabilityBrooklyn Heights
A Sad Farewell: After 24 Years, St. Mark's Comics Shutters
http://brooklynbugle.com/2012/11/30/a-sad-farewell-after-24-years-st-marks-comics-shutters-on-montague-street/Cobble Hill
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rocketship-graphic-novels-and-comics-brooklynGuess they would have to top
http://bergenstreetcomics.com/I would say that maybe Bergen Street Comics could be enticed to move to Washington with cheaper rent...
but with a name like "Bergen Street Comics" I don't think they are moving anywhere but Bergen St!Heck... "St. Marks" Comics was on "Montague St."
so maybe they would like to relocate their second location to Washington Avenue...? -
Yes, but St Marks closed because it couldn't afford Montague Street rents. I'm sure that the differential between rent on Montague and Washington is such that it might be able to survive here for a while. If Washington Avenue rents match Montague in the next couple of years, we'll only be looking at chain stores anyway.
Also, I think that you have to look at the volume of merchandise vs. available floor space. St Marks Comics, both Manhattan and BK versions had a very high merch to floor space ratio. In my mind that translates into 1)being able to find more "obscure" items and 2)reasonable pricing of items overall. Bergen street has a lot of empty floor space in comparison to the amount of merchandise. I don't know if that's going to work out for them in the long run.
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I don't think Jerry from mayday in the selling mood love him his knowledge on plumbing etc is impressive
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State of the Chains - 2012
Just to inject a bit of reality into the discussion:NYC Top Retailers 2011
1Dunkin Donuts
2Subway
3Metro PCS
4Starbucks
5Duane Reade
6McDonalds
7Rite Aid
8Baskin-Robbins
9T-Mobile
10GNC
11Radio Shack
12CVS
13Liberty Tax Service
14Payless
15Burger King
16Sleepy's
177-Eleven
18GameStop
19Walgreen's
20Popeye'sSame list WITHOUT Food
1Metro PCS
2Duane Reade
3Rite Aid
4T-Mobile
5GNC
6Radio Shack
7CVS
8Liberty Tax Service
9Payless
10Sleepy's
11GameStop
12Walgreen's
13Petland Discounts
14AT&T Wireless
15Staples
16FedEx Office
17Jackson Hewitt Tax Service
18Foot Locker*
19Family Dollar
20Cohen's Fashion OpticalThis is the likely set of targets from a landlord's perspective
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Yes, a landlord would certainly like the stability and credit rating a chain provides.
However, most of the chains seem to need a lot of foot traffic and a pretty big foot print. Most of the available sites on Washington are small.
The only big vacant site I can think of off the top of my head, is the one at the NW corner of Washington and St. Johns.
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17519931/810-Washington-Avenue-Brooklyn-NY/It could probably host a big franchise drug store (CVS, Duare Reade, etc) or a hardware store with a franchise affiliation (i.e. a privately owned True Value or Ace), or a store which is unique and special:
....a non nail/salon/bar/food destination like a comics book store, Housing Works Thift store, spa, pediatric health care center or bank.
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The only big vacant site I can think of off the top of my head, is the one at the NW corner of Washington and St. Johns.
Additionally the hole in ground next to former Calabar ImportsJust to inject a bit of reality into the discussion:
yup we have (part of) that list above and agree w/ @whynot_31 re: foot traffic
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Ah, the base of the building that will replace the one destroyed in the site of the fire!
I didn't think of that one.
Here's a photo of that to-be-built building that the developer passed around:
It isn't real hard imagining some of the businesses we are describing operating there...
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Actually, all the cell phone companies and the GameStop, tax preparers and, GNC can go into smaller spaces. Foot traffic may be a problem, but as more buildings get improved, more foot traffic will occur.
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Depending upon how the first floor was configured, the "to be built" building could probably host two or three such chains.
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There are a ton of bricked-in storefronts on streets like Grand off of Washington. I think I saw those blocks were all zoned residential now, but if the Avenue keeps growing it'd be good to have them back as shops.
In Williamsburg, they put in a really nice Duane Reade in a basement, so the street-level storefront is quite small despite having a pretty sizable store. If the new corner building puts in a big basement, they could have a big drugstore or the like in addition to a couple other storefronts.
The neighborhood could also use an east-west street with more business activity midblock. Walking back toward Washington from my friends' house near Rogers feels sketchy late at night just because there's no street with lots of east-west foot traffic to walk along.
And I wonder if the auto shop near the police station is going to sell out at any point. That's become some prime real estate, and I'd certainly rather have some sort of shops and apartments there, as opposed to broken-down cars parked on the sidewalk and rusty barbed-wire fences.
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Ah, the triangle.
The owner of the auto shop that occupys most of it tried at one point to have his property developed into housing, but then something happened.
We talked about it a while ago in this link: http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/topic/help-get-citybenches-on-washingtongrand-triangle
The public portions of that site have come a long way.
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This neighborhood needs a real pharmacy. One that doesn't close at 5pm. I'd love to see a Duane Reade or a CVS on Washington Ave. I wish the horrible grocery store on the corner of Washington and Lincoln would go out of business. Maybe a big pharmacy could go there?
A gym would be nice too. How about a Planet Fitness?
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The United Deli at the corner of Washington and Lincoln is aware of how people perceive it and is renovating at this very moment: http://brooklynian.com/forum/prospect-heights/united-deli-washington-ep
...an affordable, mid-size gym would be nice. I think the closest one is in Union Temple, and it is pretty expensive.
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Glad to hear about United Deli, but I was referring to the disgusting Key Foods on the other corner. That place has got to go. I've been ripped off by "accidental overcharging" so many times there that it is not an accident. And it is dirty, and has a bad selection. I really wish they would shut down....
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Glad to hear about United Deli, but I was referring to the disgusting Key Foods on the other corner
LOL! :salut:
Imagine we woke up tomorrow to find it was a Trader Joes!
:cheers:
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