Recently, Barry Cassidy started a blog appropriately titled Downtown Phoenixville News. Last week he posted a number of items concerning businesses on Bridge Street.
Specialty Wine Store to open in Phoenixville's Downtown
Bakery to locate in the downtown
Specialty Wine Store to open in Phoenixville's Downtown
Through the efforts of State Representative Paul Drucker it seems that the State LCB will open a specialty wine store in downtown Phoenixville. In a meeting called by State Representative Drucker on Friday LCB real estate professionals mulled over the options for the store.
The store will carry high end specialty wines like the store to open in center city at 11th and Market Streets.
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The sites under consideration at this time include the proposed new development in the 100 block and two sites in the 200 block.
Bakery to locate in the downtown
a new bakery selling artisan breads will be opening in the near future down by iron hill where the tile place was located. in the past few days there has been a flurry of activity concerning renting retail space on the street. There is a lot of interest in what is soon to be the former earth mart space. it was a toss up with the bakery for that space but finally the man settled on the spot on the 100 block.
the 6 -12 store is in the process of moving into the space next to steel city.
Comments
Good luck to the bakery. Hope for the best, perpare for the worst.
I don't know what the 6-12 Shop is but a high-end wine shop would be a welcome addition to the downtown, especially due to all the great BYOBs.
Let's keep it real here.
What I want to know is what constitutes high end wine I told someone the other day I bought a bottle of Coppola for $17 and I was told that $17 was expensive. I thought it was reasonable and was great quality.
I want to know whether I will ever go into this store or not, because to me, high end wine is like $50 dollars and up / bottle.
BTW, Heidi Sue Variety is the trashiest (sic?) store in Phoenixville. I have never been in there, but the store looks dirty, the store front sign is dirty and those those perceptions keep me far away from that place.
Anybody have insight on how that place stays in business?
Also, I have no issues with the type of store 6-12 is, but it just doesn't have curb appeal, which I think is imporant for such a prime location. They could do so much like changing the lighting for starters. Like I said in my previous comment, the place glows.
I personnally rarely step foot in Heidi Sue's but I'm not so much of a snob that I wish they would go out of business either.
While the gentrification that has taken place on Bridge Street has been most the most part very good, it has hurt a lot of long time Phoenixville residents who can no longer afford to live in town due to escalating rents. Places like the Dollar General and Heidi Sue's are all these people have. They aren't hurting anyone so cut them some slack!
The Dollar General looks like a bomb shelter, constantly has trash all over the parking lot, and the management is belligerent to others using their lot, which I can understand, but when you have 6 shoppers, and 40 spots, let's use some common sense here.
In my opinion, after the 6-12 took down the illegally-placed brand specific cigarette signs in their windows (nothing screams prosperity better then Newports for $4.69...) the old 6-12 location looked fine when it was at the Old Bank Building at Church and Main. They were also getting ready to open up a dining area in the rear that was really coming together. It was tidy and useful. The new location looks absolutely horrible.
Heidi Sue exists only through grandfathering and the owner isn't ready to retire. Still, I will never go into any of these stores because of the image they put forth.
On the other hand, take a look at Sav-More. Same products and clientele, but it looks good. No one complains about it. Or even the Cantina on the 300 block of Bridge or the Brazillian store on the 100 Block. They have specific goods and services that serve a specific population, but the buildings and windows look good (Cantina) to great (Brazil). That makes all the difference in the perception of a commercial district and especially in a district as small as this one.
The rule CERTAINLY applies,
PERCEPTION IS REALITY. Keep the cheap goods and diversity of clientele, but encourage the shopkeepers that are lacking in aesthetics to make a change. It would help everyone.
Aside from very specific signage requirements, safety and sanitation standards, the Historic Architectural Review Board and Borough Code offices have their hands tied. You can police zoning, safety, sanitation, etc., but not taste. Only "the market" can do that.
If you have a commercial district spotted with places that LOOK like blight, whether they are or not, new potential visitors will perceive it as such, no matter what gems lie in between.
I'm sure Heidi Sue's would leave if someone made a decent offer on the place. The problem is that the entire building would need to be gutted to the studs in order for it to become respectable.
As for the Dollar General, I agree that it is a low class establishment. With the size of the building and parking, they could put something really nice there (Trader Joe's?) but I suspect that as the economy continues to worsen, we will se more vacant buildings downtown as opposed to additional development. I just a low class shop is better then a vacant building.