Biggest negative contributor to market east (Washington: live in, prices, shop)

[kidphilly]

Originally Posted by Angus215

Great news about K-Mart. Hopefully it helps to put redevelopment of the entire Gallery in motion. Obviously isn't working in its current form.

Also speculation in another article that Burlington Coat Factory is also closing

I still think a City Target would be great there - or maybe even in the Blatstein Washington and Broad development

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by Angus215

Great news about K-Mart. Hopefully it helps to put redevelopment of the entire Gallery in motion. Obviously isn't working in its current form.

This is not great news. I am not a driver and depended on K-mart a lot for bathroom things and T-shirts. I am actually going there tomorrow and hate that it is closing in April.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by dabottom

This is not great news. I am not a driver and depended on K-mart a lot for bathroom things and T-shirts. I am actually going there tomorrow and hate that it is closing in April.

Yeah, the Kmart is/was actually super useful for us transit dependent people - it's a real shame that there's not something already in place nearby to fill that void, particularly since they opened at 7 AM and could always get stuff before work. I always get household supplies or non-perishable foods there.

I'm not sad to see it go - it's a Kmart - but it's certainly going to make things a hassle/more expensive for those who work in the area and used it for its convenience.

When I lived in Minneapolis and worked downtown I used to have a similar love/hate type relationship with the downtown Target that folks here think is the answer to all our problems.

[MarketStEl]

I will say that while I wish PREIT all the best in its effort to resuscitate The Gallery - short of bulldozing it and starting over, it's the best we can hope for - these developments taken together do raise the question, "What about retail for the rest of us?"

Not everyone in or near Center City is dripping with disposable income, and even the affluent, I think, would appreciate having one store that offers a wide selection of everyday essentials at affordable prices.

I'll grant that the oft-expressed hope for a City Target addresses this issue as well, but so far, we've heard nothing that suggests anyone is close to landing a store in that class for a new Center City location.

[Angus215]

When I lived in CC, I went to the Target on Delaware Ave - rarely went to K-Mart. I think it's great to have discount stores like that in the city, just not on the main commercial street going through the middle of center city. It should be among the most valuable land in the city - that's not where low-end retailers belong. A City Target would be a step up - at least they make an attempt to have a somewhat more upscale image.

[kidphilly]

An update in the Philly.com article today

A Gallery makeover is eminent, PREIT's chief executive, Joseph Coradino, promised last summer, speaking to a Chicago gathering of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts.

Coradino said there were two plans.

One - for a high-end fashion complex - depends on landing an anchor tenant such as Bloomingdale's, to be housed, perhaps, in the former Strawbridge & Clothier store at Eighth and Market Streets.

The alternative would be a "Fast Fashion and Food" concept, he said, with well-known trendy tenants such as H&M and Forever 21.

Kmart stores in Gallery, Northeast to close

[Angus215]

Originally Posted by kidphilly

An update in the Philly.com article today


Kmart stores in Gallery, Northeast to close

Hopefully the "fast fashion" concept does not include a bunch of sneaker stores. Attracting a store like Bloomingdales into the S&C building would be HUGE. Need something good in there.

[NatasNJ]

I would welcome a few BB stores like Bed Bath & Beyond or Target.

[Padugan]

Target was in the works for a center city location. I worked as a consultant for two firms who were designing options for a major center city intersection. Demoing the existing structures and putting in a new building that would need a major anchor the size of Target. After a year and a half it seems it's dead as far as Target being the anchor is concerned. a few other other big retailers are being discussed, but none that were similar to Target.

The big problem is that a lot of the stores like Target, Bed Bath Beyond, Best buy, etc. were developed to sit in suburbia and are big boxes. That program does not lend itself to urban integration easily. Some (like target) have developed urban programs and layouts that will work in existing spaces that you would find in a city. However, these designs (at least the ones I've seen) are somewhat specific and often won't work in most cases (like most of the existing center city buildings). So the only options are to either redesign the store for a specific location which is usually not the best option for the store financially and locks them in. Or, find a larger scale project that can be adapted to their specifications.

[K 22]

Originally Posted by Padugan

The big problem is that a lot of the stores like Target, Bed Bath Beyond, Best buy, etc. were developed to sit in suburbia and are big boxes. That program does not lend itself to urban integration easily. Some (like target) have developed urban programs and layouts that will work in existing spaces that you would find in a city. However, these designs (at least the ones I've seen) are somewhat specific and often won't work in most cases (like most of the existing center city buildings). So the only options are to either redesign the store for a specific location which is usually not the best option for the store financially and locks them in. Or, find a larger scale project that can be adapted to their specifications.

I've been to the Best Buy on the Blvd and Red Lion Road in the FAR Northeast. A nice one with pretty good parking but, boy, do I wish there was one in Center City or even at the Roosevelt Shopping Center on Cottman.