He's not the only one in limbo on the Ave. The street itself is waiting for a face-lift, many businesses are waiting for a better economy, and a few landlords are waiting for somebody to lease their empty properties: There are eight empty storefronts on the two blocks between N.E. 45th and 47th Streets.
Wizards of the Coast, Pier One, Breadsmith, Off Campus Books, and Retro Viva are just a few former Ave businesses--they started closing in early 2001. The real estate agents trying to fill those spaces are running into problems they can't control: the area's nagging seedy reputation and a stagnant economy.
There is a possible fix, but landlords don't seem too excited. Despite interest from low-end retailers, some property owners are holding out for higher-end businesses--ones that, in their opinion, would improve the retail climate.
"It's a pride-of-ownership issue," explains Ellen Mohl, a 15-year veteran of U-District commercial real estate. "These landlords still have a vision of University Way, of something that could be a good street."
The Ave's current mix of tobacco shops, tattoo parlors (there are two of each), and music stores (there are seven) are a hit with nearby students, but don't draw in many customers from outside the neighborhood. Mohl says a mix of retail options (especially independent merchants with specialty merchandise, like the current Gargoyle Statuary) might make the Ave a shopping destination.
Real estate agent Jana Ewer, representing Ave spaces such as the former Retro Viva and Off Campus Books, said earlier this month that the property owner is waiting before leasing to tabacco or tattoo shops. She declined to elaborate for this story.
But Matt Fox, president of the U-District Community Council, thinks waiting to fill empty storefronts will do more harm than good.
"[Property owners] aren't doing much to contribute to the retail climate," Fox says. "Something is better than nothing. An empty storefront is more of a blight than a tobacco shop."
And the upcoming $4.1 million city-funded Ave renovation project--which will widen sidewalks, improve lighting, and smooth out transit--won't be complete until summer 2003. Fox hopes property owners don't wait that long to fill their spaces.
