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Old 04-03-2009, 09:22 AM
 
Location: Up in the air
19,112 posts, read 30,626,028 times
Reputation: 16395

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Quote:
Originally Posted by the city View Post
Are u kidding me about a Wal-Mart going in San Luis Obispo??? That's like Santa Barbara getting rid of Nordstrom or Sak's Fifth Avenue and putting in a giant thrift stores.

And Target is slated for construction late this year, and they are far in their path to be built.

Biz Buzz: Target’s SLO plans still on track - Business - San Luis Obispo (http://www.sanluisobispo.com/business/story/620355.html - broken link)

December022008

JcPenney's used to be in San Luis Obispo, so thats why i think they might be an option. And Dillards would probably fit too. But i think macys fits it the city better and has been trying to come to SLO for yrs.

Target would probably be the ONLY larger retail store that I wouldn't mind being built in SLO. Regarding Macy's... I've never heard even one person suggest they want a Macy's in SLO, it's just too expensive and you can get the same stuff in the locally owned stores downtown for about the same price.
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Old 04-03-2009, 12:58 PM
 
1,687 posts, read 6,073,266 times
Reputation: 830
Quote:
Originally Posted by the city View Post
Are u kidding me about a Wal-Mart going in San Luis Obispo??? That's like Santa Barbara getting rid of Nordstrom or Sak's Fifth Avenue and putting in a giant thrift stores.
No I'm not kidding. The discount chains are the ones expanding the most right now. Also WalMarts customer demographics actually can be fairly middle class in many areas. Given the recession that could increase.

And remember, the SLO Promenade is now a big box center, some say a power center. It is not a major clothing shopping area like State Street in Santa Barbara. Gottschalks was just a remnant of the mall days.

The other option we have not discussed is that the building could be purchased by an investor than split into 3 or 4 smaller stores. That opens up other companies.
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Old 04-03-2009, 03:49 PM
 
Location: Up in the air
19,112 posts, read 30,626,028 times
Reputation: 16395
I was driving down Higuera and there are already people holding Gottschalks liquidation signs.... they don't mess around, do they?
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Old 04-03-2009, 03:50 PM
 
Location: Northern Colorado
4,932 posts, read 12,760,223 times
Reputation: 1364
Quote:
Originally Posted by FresnoFacts View Post
No I'm not kidding. The discount chains are the ones expanding the most right now. Also WalMarts customer demographics actually can be fairly middle class in many areas. Given the recession that could increase.

And remember, the SLO Promenade is now a big box center, some say a power center. It is not a major clothing shopping area like State Street in Santa Barbara. Gottschalks was just a remnant of the mall days.

The other option we have not discussed is that the building could be purchased by an investor than split into 3 or 4 smaller stores. That opens up other companies.
Macy's tried going into San Luis Obispo twice. Twice with Dalidio, and once before with Gottschalks with a low offer.

Wal-Mart will never go in San Luis Obispo. The city would block it so easily. And like I said Target is already signed with Madonna and have submitted their plans to the city.

JcPenney's, Macy's, and Dillards all have stores in big-box centers. Macy's just doesn't have any in California right now.

I don't think you are aware of the negotiations Macy's had with the Dalidio project. That Macy's would have in the first project, the San Luis Obispo Marketplace. It would have been in a two-story 55,000 sq. ft. 80's retro style building. Macy's gave the city everything they wanted to be in SLO. But Macy's backed out because they were done dealing with thecity's architecture guide lines. Macy's would love the 80s retro-style Gottschalks building because it is exactly the style of building they wanted.

Also, the city has designated the Gottschalks building only for a department store. This is because they need the department stores money coming into the city.
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Old 04-03-2009, 05:35 PM
 
Location: Earth
17,440 posts, read 28,600,002 times
Reputation: 7477
Quote:
Originally Posted by FresnoFacts View Post
Gottschalks bought the Harris chain in Southern California from El Corte Ingles. As part of the deal El Corte Ingles had a minority stake in Gottschalks.

But as I posted above El Corte Ingles is now one of the companies currently talking with Gottschalks.
El Corte Ingles is a superb department store as anyone who's ever been to Spain knows. Interesting they'd want to expand across the Atlantic during these troubled times.
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Old 04-03-2009, 06:52 PM
 
Location: Northern Colorado
4,932 posts, read 12,760,223 times
Reputation: 1364
This article talks about the history of the Dalidio Ranch project:

UPDATE: Unmasking Dalido’s mysterious foe on Cal Coast News (http://uncoveredslo.com/news.php?viewStory=172137 - broken link)

These articles talk about the history of Macy's trying to come to San Luis Obispo:

http://iw.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/...ODguMjUwLjI0MA


LOCAL GOTTSCHALKS SHOPPERS OFFER MIXED VIEW OF CHAIN

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2...86-7627082_ITM
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Old 04-03-2009, 07:04 PM
 
Location: Northern Colorado
4,932 posts, read 12,760,223 times
Reputation: 1364
This article talks about the history of the Dalidio Ranch project:

UPDATE: Unmasking Dalido’s mysterious foe on Cal Coast News (http://uncoveredslo.com/news.php?viewStory=172137 - broken link)

These articles talk about the history of Macy's trying to come to San Luis Obispo:

MACY'S GETTING MESSAGE THAT '60S ARE OUT WHAT'S NEXT? - DESIGN OF PROPOSED STORE NEAR HWY. 101 IS BETTER, BUT CITY WANTS ARCHITECTS TO FURTHER REDUCE BOXINESS


LOCAL GOTTSCHALKS SHOPPERS OFFER MIXED VIEW OF CHAIN

Macy's Withdraws Plans to Open San Luis Obispo, Calif., Store. (18-MAY-04) The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, California) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)
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Old 04-03-2009, 08:03 PM
 
1,687 posts, read 6,073,266 times
Reputation: 830
The key thing to remember is that the SLO building will be auctioned to the highest bidder.

The only thing that matters is who has the most cash, not what anyone thinks or what the city of SLO would prefer. It could be a lot of companies or investors that end up with the building.

And understand I am not saying that Macys would not go there, I am simply saying another possibility might be Walmart.

This might be Walmart's best chance to open a SLO store since any new building would need a long planning and approval process. They might want it more than someone else.

Quote:
Originally Posted by the city View Post
Wal-Mart will never go in San Luis Obispo. The city would block it so easily.
As long as Walmart conforms to SLO zoning and retail regulations the city can't stop them.

What gets Walmart stymied is when they want more. For example as long as Walmart did not attempt a supercenter store which would exceed size regulations in SLO the city could not block it without facing lawsuits.

If Walmart decided they could be happy with the existing building size it would be hard to stop.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the city View Post
I don't think you are aware of the negotiations Macy's had with the Dalidio project.
I am very aware of the negotiations that occured in the past. You are not the only one who followed the news about it closely.

And of course then we have to wonder if Macys still carries a grudge about problems with the past attempts to open in SLO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the city View Post
Also, the city has designated the Gottschalks building only for a department store. This is because they need the department stores money coming into the city.
I'm not sure what you mean as designated only for a department store. What are you thinking of that is different than the site's zoning for retail?

I believe the site is zoned C-R-PD which SLO applies for uses like General Retail. As long as Walmart stayed with the current building size they should be able to take the site and open. I can't think of anything that would block that.

And its not department store money the city wants. They want sales tax revenue. Walmart does do a good job of providing that.
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Old 04-03-2009, 11:58 PM
 
Location: Northern Colorado
4,932 posts, read 12,760,223 times
Reputation: 1364
Quote:
Originally Posted by FresnoFacts View Post
The key thing to remember is that the SLO building will be auctioned to the highest bidder.

The only thing that matters is who has the most cash, not what anyone thinks or what the city of SLO would prefer. It could be a lot of companies or investors that end up with the building.

And understand I am not saying that Macys would not go there, I am simply saying another possibility might be Walmart.

This might be Walmart's best chance to open a SLO store since any new building would need a long planning and approval process. They might want it more than someone else.


As long as Walmart conforms to SLO zoning and retail regulations the city can't stop them.

What gets Walmart stymied is when they want more. For example as long as Walmart did not attempt a supercenter store which would exceed size regulations in SLO the city could not block it without facing lawsuits.

If Walmart decided they could be happy with the existing building size it would be hard to stop.

I am very aware of the negotiations that occured in the past. You are not the only one who followed the news about it closely.

And of course then we have to wonder if Macys still carries a grudge about problems with the past attempts to open in SLO.

I'm not sure what you mean as designated only for a department store. What are you thinking of that is different than the site's zoning for retail?

I believe the site is zoned C-R-PD which SLO applies for uses like General Retail. As long as Walmart stayed with the current building size they should be able to take the site and open. I can't think of anything that would block that.

And its not department store money the city wants. They want sales tax revenue. Walmart does do a good job of providing that.
You do know there is a reason SLO doesnt already have a Wal-Mart...its the same reason Santa Barbara doesnt have a Target, Walmart, or Kmart. There is some ordinance blocking any store like Wal-Mart being in a certain radius of the the downtown. That is why they put Costco, and are putting Target on the rural part of the city. Costco and Targets projects started off in the county, and threw buttering up they went into the city. Wal-Mart is pretty much everything the city is against.

Also, SLO doesnt want Wal-Mart because it attracts people to live in the city, and Wal-Mart will attract developers to build in the city. The city likes things the way they are.

Macy's is still interested in San Luis Obispo...2000 they first had interest. 2002 they were in the san luis obispo marketplace. 2004 they dropped out of his project. 2005 they tried a low-ball offer for the SLO store. and in 2006 they tried going in the dalidio ranch marketpace. even after they left the san luis obispo marketplace they still wanted to come here.
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Old 04-04-2009, 02:34 PM
 
1,687 posts, read 6,073,266 times
Reputation: 830
But again, it is an existing 100,000 sq ft store zoned for General Retail. Walmart probably meets the description of what could go in that spot. Macys also meets it as does many other companies.

The other stores you mention like Costco were trying to build new buildings of a large size so they needed to go further out to meet all the zoning and ordinances as well as find a parcel of land large enough.

As long as a company meets the zoning and other business ordinances the city cannot stop it, even if they do not like it. Heck, DollarTree could probably open a 100,000 sq ft discount store in the building and the city could not stop it.

My point is that Walmart could look at the spot as their chance to enter the SLO market. It doesn't matter that the city may not like it, if the building exists and the current zoning is correct for the business the city cannot selectively block a company.

By the way, since you are interested in shopping centers and retail you might get a student membership in the International Council of Shopping Centers when you start college.
Student Membership
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