[ironcouger]

They could place them in the basements of buildings like downtown Seattle. Tacoma out here wanted a downtown grocery store so the city redeveloped a parking garage and placed a full grocery store on the first floor . I think tacoma is smaller than omaha. If your city persues it you could get one downtown. At one time Seattle had no grocery stores downtown they built one and several followed. And tacoma has one and another under construction. They build regular grocery stores downtown in cities.

[MountainMen]

I agree that the market downtown could support a large grocery store like a Bakers or Whole Foods. But to them, it's not necessarly about survival or if the market could support them. They want to know where they can make the most profit possible, and because Omaha is so car-centric, even people who live downtown will drive to their store outside downtown. So what's the incentive for a large scale grocer to locate themselves downtown?

[harshbarj]

Originally Posted by MountainMen

I agree that the market downtown could support a large grocery store like a Bakers or Whole Foods. But to them, it's not necessarly about survival or if the market could support them. They want to know where they can make the most profit possible, and because Omaha is so car-centric, even people who live downtown will drive to their store outside downtown. So what's the incentive for a large scale grocer to locate themselves downtown?

That's why the city needs to make it attractive. Provide some sort of tax incentive, or something else that could get one to move downtown. If we could get a few things to move downtown you would see car ownership rates there drop like a stone.

[JustMe_T3K]

Originally Posted by harshbarj

That's why the city needs to make it attractive. Provide some sort of tax incentive, or something else that could get one to move downtown. If we could get a few things to move downtown you would see car ownership rates there drop like a stone.

Now you want everyone to pay for a store for downtown. tax incentives = tax cost to taxpayers.

Putting a store downtown would not be profitable.

Maybe a little south there might be some cheaper land?

[iamjacobm]

If it takes a little TIF to get something like this DT I say go for it.



Notice the green roof and parking garage.



And the new development it spurred.

[harshbarj]

Originally Posted by JustMe_T3K

Now you want everyone to pay for a store for downtown. tax incentives = tax cost to taxpayers.

Putting a store downtown would not be profitable.

Maybe a little south there might be some cheaper land?

Why not? We give tax incentives for business to move in out west, making the urban sprawl worse. Why not give tax incentives to actually improve the city? And who says it would not be profitable? Stores in larger cities make a profit with higher property taxes than in Omaha, all with prices that would still be competitive.

[Raphael07]

Originally Posted by JustMe_T3K

Now you want everyone to pay for a store for downtown. tax incentives = tax cost to taxpayers.

Putting a store downtown would not be profitable.

Maybe a little south there might be some cheaper land?

Land costs are a one time thing, and really, its not that expensive. So yes, it could easily be profitable.

[JustMe_T3K]

Originally Posted by Raphael07

Land costs are a one time thing, and really, its not that expensive. So yes, it could easily be profitable.

All these people that think it would be profitable, but it is not happening.

[iamjacobm]

Originally Posted by JustMe_T3K

All these people that think it would be profitable, but it is not happening.

Actually it is funny, one of the things hurting Omaha's chances of an urban supermarket is that we were not hit that hard by the housing bubble burst.

The biggest supermarket practice in the past 40 years was buy land outside the fringe of the city, sit on it for 5-10 years then build once the suburbs caught got closer. In most of the country that came back and bit a lot of companies in the ass. But in Omaha since it wasn't hit quite as bad there hasn't been the same consequences of that type of speculation. The new Hy-Vee on 180th and Pacific is evidence of this. Hy-Vee has owned that land for more than a decade and it is under construction now.

Other cities haven't seen the same consistency and have been forced to change their strategy. I think Omaha is currently turning back east in a big way and it is only a matter of time before someone decides to break the mold and build DT. BTW a DT supermarket would absolutely be profitable. DT, Midtown and North Omaha are simply too under served for it to not be profitable.

Right now it is simply the fear of the unknown. Someone like Hy-Vee or Bakers would have to break from their cookie cutter designs in order to make it work and that goes against the rather conservative nature of midwest supermarket chains.

I don't think we will see a supermarket build for themselves in the near future in Omaha though. Too many ifs and buts. The best chance for something to happen would be for a developer to reach out to a Hy-Vee, Baker's, No Frills, Bag and Save whatever and get them involved in a mixed use project.

[Raphael07]

Originally Posted by JustMe_T3K

All these people that think it would be profitable, but it is not happening.

Well lets think.

When my brother and sister down at creighton need groceries, they either go to crossroads, like most creighton students, or come out to 168 and center to shop close to home.

Add 7000 Creighton students as a market.

Last time someone checked the downtown proper (68102) population it was around 8,400 (2009)

68108 adds another 17,400

68110 adds 9,200

68131 (Midtown) adds in 14,800

56,800 people. A supermarket in that area would have next to no competition. Not profitable my....