City may spend $2.2M on long-dormant Savannah River Landing development

[DanielAvery]

Costco's been trying to build a store close to where I live here in Florida, and though the area would be classified as middle-class/affluent, Martin County has far fewer residents than Chatham County. The main reasons the store isn't already building are the "anti-development" county commissioners and the NIMBY attitude of Palm City residents. Though the story says Costco wants to build on 28 acres, about half of it would be preserved/curated wetlands with retention ponds, etc. I don't think it will ever happen here, though, because the anti-development types have reflexively denied such companies for years.

http://archive.tcpalm.com/news/shapi...388710151.html

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by DanielAvery

Costco's been trying to build a store close to where I live here in Florida, and though the area would be classified as middle-class/affluent, Martin County has far fewer residents than Chatham County. The main reasons the store isn't already building are the "anti-development" county commissioners and the NIMBY attitude of Palm City residents. Though the story says Costco wants to build on 28 acres, about half of it would be preserved/curated wetlands with retention ponds, etc. I don't think it will ever happen here, though, because the anti-development types have reflexively denied such companies for years.

Costco

I've never heard of anybody ANYWHERE in Floridia being "anti-development."

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by DanielAvery

Costco's been trying to build a store close to where I live here in Florida, and though the area would be classified as middle-class/affluent, Martin County has far fewer residents than Chatham County. [/url]

Still not a fair comparison with Savannah-Chatham, which is relatively far poorer. I am always shocked (appalled is more like it) whenever I visit hometown Savannah and notice the endemic poverty all around. Martin County FL isn't poor. It's a small county on I-95 sandwiched between counties that are even wealthier -- St. Lucie, Palm Beach -- and willing to pay the annual Costco fee and patronize Costco. You can't compare coastal Florida with coastal Georgia. Can't do it.

[ajc100890]

Costco Real Estate Criteria

Costco's general criteria right now are markets of 200,000 people and infill markets. i.e. Savannah / Hilton Head would be prime consideration because it's triangulated between existing Costco stores in Charleston, Augusta, and Jacksonville.

Also, I'm pretty sure the developers of Okatie Crossing in Bluffton having been trying to lure Costco.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by masonbauknight

Still not a fair comparison with Savannah-Chatham, which is relatively far poorer. I am always shocked (appalled is more like it) whenever I visit hometown Savannah and notice the endemic poverty all around. Martin County FL isn't poor. It's a small county on I-95 sandwiched between counties that are even wealthier -- St. Lucie, Palm Beach -- and willing to pay the annual Costco fee and patronize Costco. You can't compare coastal Florida with coastal Georgia. Can't do it.

Originally Posted by ajc100890

Costco Real Estate Criteria

Costco's general criteria right now are markets of 200,000 people and infill markets. i.e. Savannah / Hilton Head would be prime consideration because it's triangulated between existing Costco stores in Charleston, Augusta, and Jacksonville.

Also, I'm pretty sure the developers of Okatie Crossing in Bluffton having been trying to lure Costco.

Costco was going to build 10 years ago on the President Street site (across from Pennsylvania) where the Mariner's Grove apartments now are. This wasnt mere speculation or rumor, this was FACT -- widely reported in the media. But the deal fell through for some reason. So I don't know where this "Savannah is too small and poor for Costco"' notion is coming from.

At any rate, I suspect Costco will probably choose to build in West Chatham if and when the time comes.

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

I suspect Costco will probably choose to build in West Chatham if and when the time comes.

Totally agree -- but that time obviously hasn't come. It's no hardship for a national chain to find a space in a small southern metro like Savannah, even near residential areas that would optimize their customer base. Only the Historic District would be prohibitive (cost to rent/lease as well as to provide a large, well-heeled clientele).

[DanielAvery]

I've never heard of anybody ANYWHERE in Floridia being "anti-development."

I know, right? It's a unique (if occasionally irksome) situation, but the chief benefit is that towns like Stuart have retained that "old Florida" flavor to an extent.

It's actually a blessing in disguise that Savannah River Landing hadn't started its development plans prior to the 2008 housing crash. So many housing and commercial developments started down here in the mid-2000s (esp. in St. Lucie County) and were simply abandoned after the financial crisis. Many of them still sit vacant (and crumbling). A large, empty tract of land like SRL is a lot more attractive than something that looks post-apocalyptic.