Banks and street vitality

From Sara Hines on the Urbanists e-list:

For anyone who knows the small downtown of Concord, MA, it is a gem of urban village retail. It's barely more than an extended T intersection, but it does everything right, from street proportion, to quality of storefronts, to street parking with hidden parking behind that has spawned shopping walkways with even more stores. It's mixed use, it's walkable, it connects well to the nearby civic and residential areas.

And, it's almost entirely independent retailers. There are two stores that are arguably regional. All the retailers seem to understand the rules of what's best practice--there are awnings, there are interesting storefronts, it's well lit, it's open nights and weekends. Retail rents at this small stores are at $44/sf, and no one's going out of business...

So what's the crisis? Citibank. Citibank does not have a presence on the ground in New England and they've decided they want one. They have offered the landlord of two of the main street businesses double the rent ($80psf) to throw out the existing tenants, a high end craft stores (quilts, jewelry, etc.) and an art gallery so that they can move in financial offices--not a branch bank--investment offices--. Zoning in Concord says "retail only" but they are paying a lot of money to go after a variance on this.

The Retailers are savvy enough to know that this will create a major dead zone in the pedestrian route and they are opposing it. They are looking for people to help with their effort. The meeting's Thurs. night, Concord TH, 7:30.

With so many downtowns in the area languishing for a decent, successful retail component of any kind , to allow one that is primarily independent and unique businesses, and, around here is the gold standard for how to do New England downtowns well, it's a crime to let this happen. Citibank doesn't need foot traffic; no shoppers carrying bags of purchases is suddently going to get the yen for some stocks and bonds; it's not what this hot little shopping district is about. Citibank is looking to buy piece of mainstreet so they can brand Citibank lives on Main Street in New England.

N.B. There IS a bank in Concord, but it is in a traditional bank-looking building, historic, with columns and setback a respectable 10' or so from the sidewalk--it's not trying to crash the retail street. It knows its place.
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See this blog entry from 2005, "A Retailer's Lament: Influx of Bank Branches."

Seattle is now mapping their neighborhood business districts, probably with A, B, and C places, and not allowing B and C low-pedestrian uses in A spots. When I talked to them about this in March though, they didn't agree with me that banks aren't "A" uses. The blog entry covers some special use zoning initiatives in this area.