In many locales across this fair land of ours, aging flyover cities have consistently struggled with the elusive concept of downtown retail.
Oh sure, there are exceptions here and there, but what you usually find is a markedly depleted retail presence when compared to the "go go" era of yesteryear, peppered with chain drug stores and accompanied by the hulking ghosts of former department stores. Cincinnati is no exception in this regard, with creaky old timers wistfully harkening back to the romanticized department store salad days of Mabley & Carew, Pogue's, McAlpin's, Alms & Doepke and, of course, the Shillito block on 6th between Race and Elm.
Unfortunately, the prospects of downtown reverting to those glory days of department store grandiosity are about as likely as our local NAACP joining forces with an uber-conservative, suburban-based anti-tax and spending group out to derail any chance of streetcars in our urban core locking the city in the economic dark ages for decades to come -
oh wait, strike that. Let's just say that the era of mammoth downtown department stores has pretty much gone the way of the dodo. As the old adage goes, however, "retail follows rooftops," and in an interesting bit of symmetry, the conversion of former hulking department stores like McAlpin's and Shillito's into residential enclaves helps pave the path for future retail to emerge in our downtown core.
Once upon a time, in an effort to boost downtown retail, Cincinnati courted Nordstrom, offering up incentives estimated at approximately $50 million in order to entice the upscale retailer to locate a store at the vacant 5th and Race lot. This lengthy courtship followed several other serial failures to lure large department stores to that site including the now-defunct McAlpin's and Maison Blanche, as well as Dillard's. As is evident by even a cursory perusal of the site now, Nordstrom bailed in November of 2000, citing declining profits and weak sales, leaving a prime parking lot replete with dysfunctional skywalks as its then legacy for downtown Cincinnati. Naturally, as Nordstrom prepares to open its new Kenwood store this fall, we'll be painfully reminded of that erstwhile runaway retail bride.
Still, Cincinnati actually fares pretty well in comparison to many of its peers, with a downtown featuring Macy's, Saks, Tiffany's, Brooks Brothers, Jos. A. Banks, and T.J. Maxx - all of which provide a nice cluster of big names in and around the Fountain Square district. Filling in the gaps between the bigger names is always a struggle, however independently-owned retailers such as
Bolero,
Bromwell's and
Mike and Carol Trotta have carved out a respectable niche. Clearly, however, there is considerable room to expand on this modest platform downtown.
Combine our earlier Nordstrom experience with
Tower Place's struggles to retain stores and you have a perpetual challenge facing those trying to revitalize retail in the downtown sector. Moreover, it is abundantly clear that one has to be particularly strategic in how you approach downtown retail in this day and age. These are not the 1950s. Suburban "lifestyle centers," with their trademark auto-centric easy-access have replaced the downtown retail districts of yore. While downtown residency is on the rise, continued growth is necessary before it can reach the critical mass population numbers required by national retailers in order to fuel their development formulas.
So where does one go to fill the gaps? A helpful case study can be found in the microcosm of Over the Rhine's
Gateway Quarter, where a modest passel of unique and locally owned retail operations have sprung up in and around Vine Street, providing a much needed boost to the identity and vibrancy of one of the city's hottest residential growth markets. Diverse offerings, locally owned and not replicated in the burbs -
that is the path to a revitalized downtown retail sector. Oh sure, a big bookstore on Fountain Square would be nice - hello! Joseph Beth! - and people will continually clamor for the elusive and somewhat illusory concept of the downtown grocery store, but the Gateway Quarter shops demonstrate what can be achieved with a focus on unique and local offerings.
Take
MiCA/12V for example, which recently received a shout out in a glowing
New York Times travel piece on Cincinnati. An offshoot of their O'Bryonville store, MiCA/12V's OTR location features design-based gifts, artwork and accessories by a number of local artists and designers. Although not exclusively local, a large chunk of the inventory is derived from the immediate vicinity, therefore serving the dual purpose of providing not only a high end locally-owned retail store but also an outlet for local artisans to showcase their wares.
This is the type of focus that plays directly into some of the more
au courant movements emerging in the business sector today. Although not yet locally established,
BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) is an international alliance of independently operated local business networks dedicated to building 'Local Living Economies'. Although often identified with locavore food movements, the BALLE theories can be applied to all business sectors, including independent retailers. This is done by leveraging the power of local networks to build a web of economies that are community-based, green and fair. Although predictably saturated with the usual buzzwords and clichés, the theory has some legs and has ready application in the retail sector of the Gateway Quarter.
I recently ran into urban retail leasing consultant Kathleen Norris, now with the
Brandt Retail Group. Norris previously worked on putting together the retail component for the Gateway Quarter. She emphasized her belief that retail will not succeed downtown if it simply replicates what one can find in the suburbs. While there are some successful pockets here and there, the goal is to provide unique offerings that can't be replicated elsewhere. For example, she points to the South end of Main Street in OTR as another district looking to replicate the success of the Gateway Quarter.
Eschewing its beer-soaked past from earlier in the decade, Main Street is re-launching itself with new historic condo conversions and a burgeoning retail presence. For example,
Atomic #10, opening later this month at 1306 Main, is a vintage used clothing, accessories and furniture store carrying items from the 1950's through the 1980's. Joining Atomic #10 will be Original Thought Required, owned and operated by James Marable, which will sell more "cutting edge urban wear." Norris also noted that there was another prospective retailer which has yet to sign on the dotted line, but it is clear that the momentum is building as the new residential units start to come on line. Whether Main Street in fact mirrors the success of the Gateway Quarter remains to be seen, however it's clear that the template for success is there.
As far as downtown is concerned, however, although the equation is altered it is not altogether distinct. While quirky vintage clothing shops may not fuel a downtown retail renaissance, simply mirroring the suburban malls and big box complexes is also not in the cards. Toeing the line with an emphasis on unique offerings appropriate for both the growing downtown resident segment as well as businesses and their employees will be critical.
Photography by Scott Beseler
MiCA/12V
Bromwell's
Bolero
MICA/12V
Katie Garber, Atomic #10