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Show Don't Like Concept Of ItfL Downtown Mall By GARY BLODGETT BOUNTIFUL-It's difficult being in the minority. BUT AFTER reviewing the recent survey conducted by the Bountiful Area Chamber of Commerce regarding plans for Bountiful redevelopment, I am in the minority concerning a proposed prop-osed downtown shopping mall. I've changed my mind several times about the feasibility and necessity-for necessity-for such a so-called mini-mall. Sometimes Some-times I have felt that a downtown mall would be just the thing to spur Bountiful Bounti-ful on to greater heights. Other times, however, I feel confused and depressed depress-ed about the whole matter and wish redevelopment would just go away. BASICALLY, I don't like the concept con-cept of a downtown mall, not as a mall per se, at least. An anchor store or two in an uncovered shopping center I can go along with--but not an enclosed mali--at least not at the present time. Contrary to the Chamber of Commerce Com-merce survey, I still don't think Bountiful Boun-tiful area residents would support a mall. As a previous study showed, apprroximately 22 percent of all shopping shop-ping done at the ZCMI mall was from Bountiful area residents-most of whom work in the area-and they are not going to change their shopping habits. BUT MY main concern is not whether or not the Bountiful area could financially support a mall. My concern is what adverse effect a mini-mall mini-mall would have on the remainder of the commercial community. What would be the effect of the existing ex-isting Main Street merchants? Could they afford to pay several times the cost of rent to be a part of the mall? If so, would the atmosphere of the mall be sufficient to offset the high cost of rent? I SAY "No" to both questions. Downtown merchants have had reasonably low rent-and overhead-for overhead-for the past several decades. Yet during dur-ing this time they have not gotten rich; some have barely survived, and some have not survived. A downtown mall would "kill" these existing businesses. The mall would be comprised of 90 percent--if not more--of franchise or so-called "chain stores." The anchor stores, with a much lower rent, would be subsidized sub-sidized by the "mother stores" until they reached maturity and could make it own their own. WITH FEW exceptions, existing downtown stores would "go under" or at the least would struggle even more than they are today. Look at Layton Hills Mall. Even that mammoth facility is struggling for survival-and many stores within the mall have gone bankrupt, especially those that are locally owned and thought that the mall would be their means of success. AT THE same time, "downtown" stores that chose-or were forced to remain in the same location-have also gone out of business or have suffered a dramatic loss of business. So who's prospering? If anyone is-and is-and I don't think even the major department de-partment (anchor) stores of the Layton Hills Mall-are doing a bang up business. busi-ness. TRUE, THE mall opened at the worst economic time in recent history. But I still don't think the Layton Mall is going to be the booming success that developers, and many local folk, thought it would be. So where does that leave Bountiful? IN MY opinion, Bountiful's downtown down-town development should be geared to helping the local merchants to "fix up" their existing businesses-including "low interest" loans as well as RDA funds. I agree with RDA director V. A. (Kit) Bettilyon that to develop downtown Bountiful (with a mini-mall) before giving giv-ing support to the 5-Points Shopping Center would be a disaster, in the long run, to the 5-Points Mall. THUS, I believe that 5-Points should get some RDA help, along with J.C.Penney if the latter is seriously intent in-tent on coming back "into the fold" of downtown Bountiful. As for the Colonial Square Shopping Plaza, this is where the RDA and I differ at least for the time being. I add the latter phrase until I learn what is planned for the center once the bull dozer is put to the existing buildings. IN MY opinion, there is little, if any hope that Colonial Square could survive sur-vive as a shopping center. That's unfortunate, un-fortunate, and I hope that the existing businesses can find a place in downtown down-town Bountiful to pursue their endeavors. en-deavors. But I seriously question-in fact I oppose-the RDA spending $2 million plus for the purchase of Colonial Square. That is unless there is something some-thing mighty fantastic proposed on the site that would produce a property tax increment greater than the shopping mall. AND AT this time, I doubt it! I strongly agree with the three committee report that the RDA Board of Directors should "move with caution" and be very certain before making any decisions. LAST WEEK I strongly suggested-and suggested-and hopefully it will come about-that the RDA Board will apppoint another "advisory board" that can be called upon for studies and recommendations. To me, it was a shame that the committees com-mittees were treated the way they were, and disbanded at such an "untimely" "un-timely" period when interest was so high and apparently things going so well. PERSONALLY, I was shocked at the announcement to disband the committees. com-mittees. I had attended many of their meetings. I was not only pleased-but thrilled at some of the recommendations recommenda-tions and input that these committees were providing. Personally, I was disappointed that the RDA Board did not give more attention atten-tion to these recommendations--or it they did, why didn't they let it be known? WHY DID the RDA Board disband the committees, and immediately appoint a study by a Salt Lake development de-velopment firm-the only agency with a personal interest in future development develop-ment of the city's proposed downtown mall? Obviously, I have become very disillusioned dis-illusioned and disappointed in what has been going on-and I am sure many other Bountiful residents feel the same way. FEELINGS OF the residents who have attended public meetings and hearings have not been heeded. Nor will my opinions be considered, I'm sure. But at least I have gotten some of my feelings off my chest, and right or wrong there are still a lot of questons to be answered. AGAIN--FOR what it's worth--I urge RDA to proceed slowly, cautiously, cautious-ly, and with a lot of study before making mak-ing any decisions. The decisions are in your hands! WHAT I have to say doesn't mean two hoots. |
