Downtown

[David A]

A nail salon just doesn’t have that pull. - How do you know this?

Well it isn't as if this is the very last spot available downtown, so if the Apple Store or Nike was considering a downtown location there are still a number of other good spots still available.

 

[The_Cat]

Nail salons are quite popular. I’m sure it could get a lot of business by students, workers and those living downtown. I’m sure it could help other businesses.

 

[Gronk!]

FYI there is a beauty salon just across the street:
Icon, in Commerce Place

 

[Edmcowboy11]

Well in this case as was stated just a few posts to go Beggars can't be choosers. I hope this nail salon works out well and thrives and then hopefully more spaces a long Jasper Avenue and in the downtown core overall start filling up. Right now there's way too many vacancies throughout the downtown

 

[AntonK]

Re: The nail salon, I would prefer a restaurant, pub or cafe, but a nail salon is still a business and it still beats a bank. At least it will be open after hours.

At this point I'm happy for any business wanting to open downtown. We all like downtown and would like to see it do better, but in this town there are still too many people who have a bad perception of it, and won't even come downtown unless they have to. As frustrating as it is, progress is going to be slow, and we'll have to take wins where we can.

 

[David A]

Re: The nail salon, I would prefer a restaurant, pub or cafe, but a nail salon is still a business and it still beats a bank. At least it will be open after hours.

At this point I'm happy for any business wanting to open downtown. We all like downtown and would like to see it do better, but in this town there are still too many people who have a bad perception of it, and won't even come downtown unless they have to. As frustrating as it is, progress is going to be slow, and we'll have to take wins where we can.

Yes and even for people who live downtown or people who actually want to come downtown, retail has become so sparse over the last 5 years that they often have to end up going elsewhere.

Want to go the H&M in downtown Edmonton? You can't because it isn't there. Years ago, London Drugs used to have a store in Edmonton Centre, it is not in the downtown core now either.

In Edmonton, if you want to go to the Apple Store, you can't find one downtown. Only in our suburban malls. So while this is a small business, at least one less thing, people downtown have to go elsewhere for.

 

[IanO]

^ H&M had ink drying on a deal to take urban men over with a 2 storey store on 102/101st... but when it came down to it, they opted for Kingsway cause it 'is Downtown with free parking' or so I have been told.

There used to be a Westworld computers on 108st next to Norquest, technically 'an Apple Store', bought my LCII 14400 modem there and the UofA shop on Jasper and 103st used to have an Apple section for computers, gear, etc. It now sits empty and has vinyl on the windows. Nicely done Uofeh?

 

[David A]

If you live in around the downtown core, I suppose you can take the LRT to Kingsway, but it is really not easily walkable, so no that does not really count as "downtown" IMO although the free parking part is correct.

The owners of Kingsway also owned City Centre at the time and they SCREWED the later to benefit the former (which had a lot of space open up because Target closed). It led to the decline of City Centre and the state it is in now.

There are sad stories and explanations for all of this and more, but I just chose a few common examples of things that are in the downtown cores in several other Canadian cities but not here.

My real point is we are in a very deep hole and we need to get out of it by rebuilding retail and services downtown, even if it starts with smaller things like a nail salon in a prominent location that has been empty for a while.

 

[IanO]

But again, Club, Sportchek/Atmo and a few others would not have been in ECC if not for Oxford pushing them to be there in exchange to also be in Kingsway.

 

[Edmcowboy11]

I just hope that with a few other of the buildings that will be built or renovated or converted in the next year or so that at least a few more small businesses decide to set up shop and continue to fill all the vacancies that are in the downtown area.

 

[David A]

Actually that is news to me, first time I have heard that, although of course they are not there now

 

[Gronk!]

Rather than trying to lure the big chains such as H&M, why not continue to attract diversified start-ups in the downtown area?

Downtown needs a hardware store. Currently, you need to drive to Canadian Tire on Kingsway Ave or to Home Depot in the Westmount shopping centre.

 

[bodsbods9090]

Rather than trying to lure the big chains such as H&M, why not continue to attract diversified start-ups in the downtown area?

Downtown needs a hardware store. Currently, you need to drive to Canadian Tire on Kingsway Ave or to Home Depot in the Westmount shopping centre.

Agree on the second part of your post. A hardware store will go a long way.

I don't think start-ups will draw people downtown to shop. The big chains will. Sprinkle in some start-ups and that'll go well if you draw people downtown. But going with just start-ups won't attract people, IMO.

 

[IanO]

Does it though? The Bay had a small tools/urban hardware needs store that flopped.

The days of a 3000 sqft Home Hardware are long gone (which would have been ideal) and I honestly do not think that it would work. Now, could the Home Depot roll out those urban stores again and add it in with an urban CDN tire with 500 units on top in the North Edge, maybe, but they have moved away from these for the most part.

 

[TAS]

After a weekend in Canmore, stopped at Lacombe on way home - love their historic downtown.

Of course this town of 15,000 has a nice hardware store to serve its population. I think the former farmer's market/Army Navy site on 97st would be great for a hardware store here.