I am always grateful for the Angry Poodle insights. And especially Nick Welsh’s ability with words. Such finesse!
Walking through Paso Nuevo, I noticed half of those shops are closed. Their windows need to be decorated as well.
Thinking about your recent column and the forever concern for affordable housing, it occurred to me that while the demand for a bedroom is great, for retail space it has plummeted!
I read about Open Air Bicycles closing. Part of the reason is “the shop is expensive.” The other major factor is the internet, shopping online.
Retail landlords have not adjusted their prices to this new reality. Shops are overcharged for space and they can’t survive. Somehow the business model has broken down on “Main Street.” We are a quarter of a century into the demise of retail stores in America, both malls and Main Street.
This is a national problem; no City Council has enough leverage to fix it.
You questioned, “on what planet does it make economic sense to allow one’s property to sit empty for years?“ I disagree that the answers to your question will get us any closer to fixing the situation.
The answer lies within the tax codes; federal, state, and local. Which one of these has the most influence on the owners? I am sure that the owners just write off their “losses.”
When they can no longer do that their behavior will change.
