EDA Meeting Recap
Along with two other new members, I received a warm welcome at the Economic Development Meeting this evening. Our primary topic was Transwestern’s request to allow non-retail businesses to lease space at Pearson Square. Bob Ruffatto from Transwestern gave us some background on the building and what they’ve been doing to try and lease the space.
I thought we had a pretty good discussion about the main issue - the potential impact of allowing different kinds of businesses to occupy what had been designated as “retail” space. I think it boils down to a couple of things:
- The economy is just terrible right now, especially for retail.
- Transwestern mostly just cares about the residential component of the building.
Transwestern realizes that if the ground floor spaces stay empty or are occupied by bad businesses it will ultimately hurt their residential business. Bob even acknowledged that at some point they’ll have to do something to at least get a coffee shop/mini deli into the retail area or the residents will have a real problem. However, I think after satisfying that one critical component I think Transwestern would be fine with filling the rest of the spaces with non-retail (and even non-retail services (think dry cleaners)) - loading up on professional/medical businesses just to keep the space filled.
As much as I’d love to see a great mix of retail use I think at this point, considering the economy, we’d all be fortunate to get anything into those spaces. I think our best bet is to ensure that some portion of the space (50% is what they’re kicking around right now) stays pegged for retail and then potentially put some kind of expiration after 10-15 years on the exception that allows non-retail businesses. The idea there being that if in 10-15 years the City Center is a hot spot and Pearson Square is a great space for retail there will be a way to revert any non-retail spaces back to retail use.
I think Transwestern is working to finalize their specific requests and then it will go in front of the City Council and the Planning Commission (and I think back to us at the EDA) for official review/approval.
Anyway, after the lively discussion about Pearson Square we touched on a few old items like the branding effort that is now under way. There’s no real news about the City Center, which isn’t a surprise considering the current economic climate.
I don’t think I’ll do a detailed recap of each meeting - after all, the minutes of each meeting are published each month. And everyone is welcome to attend the meetings - they’re open to the public. But I do plan to write here about any particularly interesting (to me) topics that come up in future EDA meetings.
Andy:
You’ve been watching for a long time through the polarized glasses of the News Press (when you were an Arlingonian), and yes economic times are bad, but how many times are we the city going to approve development with compromises that support the developer’s desire to build more residential with the promise of real retail commercial development, only to have the developer come back crying that they can’t do what they promised? There are a lot of problems with Pearson and it’s retail frontage, but if a landlord can’t attract a business to a nearly full apartment building within site of a major artery in an urban area, then really, something else is wrong. Whatever goes in needs to be easily convertible to real retail when things improve - not something that would happen with a dentist. In my mind, Pearson will really get going when the dilapidated buildings across Maple and actually facing Rt. 29 are replaced by places people want to be. Right now, it’s only Elevation Burger.
Hey Charlie,
Thanks for the comment. I actually lived in Fairfax County prior to moving into the City and I relocated my business to the City a year and a half ago. While I do read the New Press, I think I have a fairly complete view of things. I do admit that I didn’t follow things as closely before I moved into the City and certainly there are many past issues that I’m not familiar with.
Trust me, I wish that Person could attract retail tenants (although part of the issue is the definition of retail - I think a hair salon, dry cleaner, and stores like that would be fine, but they’re not technically retail). I think right now the major problem is the economy. I think the next biggest problems are parking (perceived and actual) and the less than desirable stuff across the street (as you mention).
My understanding is that the stuff on the other side of S Maple has a variety of owners, making it harder for a developer to come in and put up something new.
Anyway, until the City Center is in or the other side of S Maple is redeveloped or the economy bounces back I think it will be a challenge to get anything, much less retail, into Pearson Square. The EDA is suggesting that Transwestern be allowed to expand the types of businesses allowed in a portion of that space, and even then potentially have a fixed amount of time (10-15 years) for the exception before it reverts back to retail-only (but even then I think we’d want a slightly expanded definition of retail).