[Cambium]

Originally Posted by Cambium

August 8, 2016




April 23, 2017

September 17, 2017

Drove by this spot again. Looks like they paved the lot and cleaning up now. I like the new trees in front.

[allanny13]

Darien has approved one of the two major Noroton Heights redevelopment plans that intend to transform the area into a "village-style" commuter and pedestrian-oriented live-work-play community, in combination with improvements to the Metro North station across the street.

The Commons at Noroton Heights approved for development | Darien Times

It looks it will be a huge improvement over the current strip-mall style shopping center, essentially creating another town center in Darien.

Compare this to say the mixed-use development of Waypointe in Norwalk which had similar hopes, but has been struggling to attract retail beyond restaurants and lacks the public transportation aspect as well.

https://www.nancyonnorwalk.com/2017/...ack-of-retail/

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by allanny13

Darien has approved one of the two major Noroton Heights redevelopment plans that intend to transform the area into a "village-style" commuter and pedestrian-oriented live-work-play community, in combination with improvements to the Metro North station across the street.

The Commons at Noroton Heights approved for development | Darien Times

It looks it will be a huge improvement over the current strip-mall style shopping center, essentially creating another town center in Darien.

Compare this to say the mixed-use development of Waypointe in Norwalk which had similar hopes, but has been struggling to attract retail beyond restaurants and lacks the public transportation aspect as well.

https://www.nancyonnorwalk.com/2017/...ack-of-retail/

This place will have the same issues trying to attract small time retail. Mom and Pop stuff there will come and go. Just take a drive around downtown Westport and up and down the Post Rd and see all the empty storefronts there. What's in the new just completed development down there? - yep, a restaurant.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Raider111

This place will have the same issues trying to attract small time retail. Mom and Pop stuff there will come and go. Just take a drive around downtown Westport and up and down the Post Rd and see all the empty storefronts there. What's in the new just completed development down there? - yep, a restaurant.

I haven't seen a lot of empty stores in Westport. There are a couple but they would hardly considered to be a lot. I doubt Developer's would invest this type of money if there was not a market for it. Jay

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I haven't seen a lot of empty stores in Westport. There are a couple but they would hardly considered to be a lot. I doubt Developer's would invest this type of money if there was not a market for it. Jay

You must have really good eyes up there.
A couple?? Drive up and down the Post Rd (I commute it everyday), look left, look right

[allanny13]

Originally Posted by Raider111

This place will have the same issues trying to attract small time retail. Mom and Pop stuff there will come and go. Just take a drive around downtown Westport and up and down the Post Rd and see all the empty storefronts there. What's in the new just completed development down there? - yep, a restaurant.

In that Westport development, Savannah Bee Company just opened and a huge Williams Sonoma is apparently moving in soon too. The Anthropologie sure doesn't seem to be hurting either.

The retail that accommodates commuters will be in demand here (dry cleaning, coffee shops, liquor store, etc), something that downtown Westport itself doesn't have access to, but has helped revitalize Saugatuck. The shopping center across the street where Palmer's is (which comprises the other half of the development of the area) also has a bunch of mom and pop type stores that I always wondered how make enough money to stay open (bookstore, dry cleaners, home store, pizza store, Pure Barre, barber shop, etc). I guess it's just a question of how much retail demand is there here (the apartments will increase the demand, but maybe not proportionately).

But I do agree that the type of retail that is successful these days, even in affluent towns, are either unique retail or service-oriented retail, things that can't be bought on Amazon.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Raider111

You must have really good eyes up there.
A couple?? Drive up and down the Post Rd (I commute it everyday), look left, look right

I do look around and I particularly look for things like that. Yes there are a couple here and there but certainly not more than one should expect in an affluent town like Westport. Even in the most dynamic and desirable communities across the country there are going to be some vacant spaces. Maybe we just have different definitions of "a lot". I also read the Westport Now website and see all kinds of new stores/restaurants opening in locations vacated by others. Jay

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I do look around and I particularly look for things like that. Yes there are a couple here and there but certainly not more than one should expect in an affluent town like Westport. Even in the most dynamic and desirable communities across the country there are going to be some vacant spaces. Maybe we just have different definitions of "a lot". I also read the Westport Now website and see all kinds of new stores/restaurants opening in locations vacated by others. Jay

No, there's a lot , look again. Just about every other strip mall and traffic corner there's a building with an empty front with a large lease available sign - office and retail. More than the usual. I'm on this road for years and years and years. Never seen it like that before. I'm not the only one to notice. I'll try and count them up for ya on the way home.
The point is about brick/mortar retail challenges, not about the state, or what town, or if the town is affluent or has a website.

[Robert137]

Originally Posted by allanny13

Darien has approved one of the two major Noroton Heights redevelopment plans that intend to transform the area into a "village-style" commuter and pedestrian-oriented live-work-play community, in combination with improvements to the Metro North station across the street.

The Commons at Noroton Heights approved for development | Darien Times

It looks it will be a huge improvement over the current strip-mall style shopping center, essentially creating another town center in Darien.

Compare this to say the mixed-use development of Waypointe in Norwalk which had similar hopes, but has been struggling to attract retail beyond restaurants and lacks the public transportation aspect as well.

https://www.nancyonnorwalk.com/2017/...ack-of-retail/

Oh phooey, there goes my convenient little shopping area. I hope the Stop and Shop stays. Not looking forward to the construction chaos.

Does anyone know what's going on with the Pemberton 16 condos at the corner of Leroy and West Avenues in Darien? It's been open for months--maybe a year--and there appears to be no activity at all there.

[allanny13]

Originally Posted by Robert137

Oh phooey, there goes my convenient little shopping area. I hope the Stop and Shop stays. Not looking forward to the construction chaos.

Does anyone know what's going on with the Pemberton 16 condos at the corner of Leroy and West Avenues in Darien? It's been open for months--maybe a year--and there appears to be no activity at all there.

I doubt it will stay honestly. There's already another Stop & Shop 2 miles away in the Goodwives shopping center, and Palmer's will definitely be staying. Yea, that whole area will suck during the construction of both sides.

Of the 16 units at Pemberton 16, it looks like 11 are currently for sale, between $825k-$895k. It's age restricted otherwise I imagine these units would be long sold.