Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Promenade May Get Image Overhaul
Chain retail stores limit third street's culture, says city council
By Dmitri Pikman
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
dpikman@media.ucla.edu
Many UCLA students think of Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica as a great place to spend a few hours during the weekend. They can catch a movie, eat out and do a little shopping in one of the many name-brand stores dotting the area.
That might all change.
The Santa Monica City Council is trying to find a way to present Third Street as a more singular destination, instead of its being a "glorified mall," as some council members and independent store owners call it.
Many of them believe the abundance of corporate retail stores in the area takes away from the unique cultural feel of Third Street.
"A staff report from council members studying the issue concurred that the Promenade was turning into an outdoor mall and it was losing its unique character," said Andy Agel, assistant director for the Santa Monica Office of Planning and Community Development.
Many independent store owners in the area are complaining that they are losing customers, since Third Street now consists mostly of chain stores that shoppers could find elsewhere in the city.
"We want to be in a location that is different than anywhere else," said
Theo Hendrani, manager for Shiva Imports on Third Street, an independent
store that specializes in Indian and Indonesian imports, and New Age gifts.
"Why should customers come some place where they are surrounded by the same
stores?" Hendrani asked.
Competition is another reason why many independent store owners want a less-corporate Third Street.
Most chain retail stores on the promenade are not geared towards making a profit, said Tim Hubener, manager of Vintage Animation. Rather, they are used as representations of the brand, promoting it to the many visitors checking the store. Those visitors can then go and buy the products at a different location.
Independent stores, however, have to make a profit if they want to remain
in business, and so for them it is crucial to make a sale.
In an attempt to study the situation further, the Santa Monica City Council
on Sept. 9 assigned a committee to assess the situation and see if the spread
of chain stores on Third Street was hurting the area.
Following up on the issue, the city council voted on Nov. 11 to determine whether there should be a moratorium placed on the creation of any new corporate stores on Third Street.
The committee assigned to study the matter reported that completely banning chain stores on Third Street would not offer an adequate resolution and the moratorium did not pass.
"We need an appropriate mix of different types of businesses. It has never been about eliminating chain stores," Agel said.
But city council members did agree to pass the matter over to a non-profit organization, the Bayside District Corporation. The BDC is a management company charged with the responsibility of overseeing, marketing and managing the downtown Santa Monica area.
The BDC has nine months to come up with possible ways to increase appeal of Third Street, after which their recommendations would be passed to the city council.
The city council would then further review the matter and present the final solution.
Kathleen Rawson, executive director for the BDC, said an ordinance prohibiting chain stores on Third Street may still be possible.
"Nothing is off the table. We will look at every opinion that is presented, since it is a very complex and difficult problem," Rawson said.
She added that for now the BDC still has no idea what the final suggestion would look like, since the board of executives will begin studying the issue in December.
For now, many independent store owners on Third Street are excited at the prospect of a more unique environment for their businesses.
"I welcome the idea of fewer corporations. Two Starbucks within 15 feet of each other is definitely not something Third Street needs," Hubener said.
He added that many of his customers would also welcome the idea of more independent stores.
"People are thinking that what used to make the promenade special is
going away," Hubener said.
Fair Use Notice
This site occasionally reprints copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues and to highlight the accomplishments of our affiliates. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is available without profit. For more information go to: www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.