Avenue Woes

Austin Walsh at the Daily Journal has latched onto the concerns about rents and parking on "The Avenue" in this piece in today's paper.

The former homes to J. Crew, Anthropologie, Kara’s Cupcakes, Baby Couture, Aida Opera Candies and Gymboree are among the locations remaining unoccupied on the core commercial corridor.

Juan Loredo, president of the Downtown Business Improvement District, attributed the empty storefronts primarily to the inability or unwillingness of some companies to continue paying the high cost of doing business.

Juan makes the case for variety in the stores around the downtown and that certainly has been an issue as well.  The utter lack of any after-dinner entertainment is a glaring deficiency vis a vis Redwood City, Palo Alto and even San Carlos!   The ongoing parking issues also get mentioned but not analyzed (which is fine for a pure news piece) so we'll add some insight here.  Austin writes

Officials recognize parking constraints, and are planning to redevelop an existing surface lot into a garage offering 100 more spaces. On a neighboring lot, officials are seeking to construct an affordable housing development.

Business owners concerned about the loss of parking through the construction period have lobbied for the garage to be built before the housing development.

I'll bet there are more than a few business owners who also think adding a big chunk of new housing will only exacerbate the business-available parking.  They may be feeling the political-correctness pressure to not say so, but I bet they are thinking it.  With 220 California nearing completion and PAMF apparently pulling out of being the anchor tenant, we may see the impact of that under-parked monster building kick in long before any additional city parking even hits the drawing board.  We must also ask, "Where will the money come from?"

I felt that we had reached a tipping point when Anthropologie couldn't make it--and that pretty good, sizeable space is still available months later.  Keep the window paper handy.

Comments

[hollyroller]

Consider allowing a Rec./Medical Marijuana Dispensary to fill one of those empty storefronts.
An "Up-Scale" place.
All the "Disposable Income People" that live on the Peninsula would be drawn to Burlingame for the "Atmosphere."
Restaurants, Real Estate, Hospitality, and BART, SFO, AM Track, and San Francisco.
An Upscale Marijuana "Health Club."
I am sure there a hundreds of entrepreneurs' World Wide, that would JUMP at the chance to have access to a "Hub" such as the City of Burlingame, CA.

[hillsider]

The "Disposable Income People" got that way by not smoking too much dope. But now I am breaking my own rule against responding to your nonsense.

[Charles]

Burlingame needs more public transit and better public transit, not more parking spaces.

At the very least, Burlingame should cover existing parking spots with photovoltaics so that the area is put to good use.

Finally, a cannabis dispensary would be an enormous benefit to the city if we allowed one to move into one of the empty spaces on Burlingame Ave.

[Mom]

Forget public transit. It will never meet enough needs in the Bay Area. The self-driving shared cars will help with parking in the long run but what Burlingame should do is sell the parking lot to a developer of market priced units (much better price) and use most of the money for the parking garage and some should go to the school district to help figure out where all the kids will sit.

[It Don't Come Easy]

Let's agree not to use San Carlos as a model for downtown development. It is has already lost its quaint appeal and looks more like an Orange County suburb than the classy little quiet respite it was once known for.

[Becca]

How awful that we now have a 4 story monstrosity and PAMF allowed to pull out of the deal.... how can this be? - after the businesses around there suffering through the building.

No dispensaries please on the Avenew, the smoke smell is already intolerable.

[Camille]

A cannabis dispensary on Burlingame Avenue is a great idea. We already have a liquor dispensary. Plenty of us with money spend some of it at a cannabis dispensary, and also spend money on the same things everyone else does. With no dispensary anywhere between San Jose and South SF, it would draw in a lot of people.

[hollyroller]

Common Since Camille.
As far as those with "disposable income," Dear Hillsider...
Those are the people who voted for Medical and Recreational Marijuana.

[Joe]

@Easy, agreed that San Carlos is struggling to maintain its charm as well, but at least Laurel Ave. still has a number of Mom & Pop shops and I can only look on with envy at Savanna Jazz.

[hollyroller]

The rent/lease on Burlingame Ave. for a 7-8 Hundred square foot "Business Space" is between $11,000 and $30,000 a month.
Unless, a "Corporate-Multi National Business" presents an offer, nothing will fill the space.
I was told that the rent/lease of a "Computer Store" on Burlingame Ave. is $64,000.00 per month.
Sort of narrows the field....

[Steve Kassel]

From where did you get those numbers HR?

[Joanne]

Sephora must have to sell a whole lot of makeup!!

[hollyroller]

Sephora products are the Best!

Dear Mr. Kassel,
Any/All business' that sell Alcohol in the US, are required to register with ATF. Look at their web site.
There is a State of CA.(ATF ish) site too.

[Joe]

Holy, I do not think businesses that are selling alcohol are required to disclose the rent that they are paying for floor space. That was the question.

Back to the original issue, if I may. Rents on the Avenue will rise and fall with the economy. I am surprised at how long some spaces sit empty, but that is the landlord's prerogative--take some short term losses for a longer term better/higher rent.

[Steve Kassel]

HR, rental rates are not listed there. Don't know to what you are responding.

[Jennifer]

'Just curious how long Joe and The Juice will be around. Maybe most customers buy and walk off, but the place seems mainly empty to me.

One of the construction folks in the former Kara's space said a Straw and Ice was going in there (?) I must have misunderstood the name with all the construction noise. Maybe newfangled shaved ice--Not sure. Whatever it is going to be, 'fingers crossed.

[KRN]

Salt and Straw--- Ice Cream

https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Salt-Straw-to-open-new-shops-in-Palo-Alto-and-12966884.php

[hollyroller@gmailcom]

Dear Joe,
I do know where the information regarding "All" regulations/law needed to be a purveyor of Alcoholic Beverages in the United States, California, and San Mateo are.
Nevertheless, Joe, please feel free to look up the regulations and share them with us here at BV.
ATF is "No Joke."
There is a Great Law Library in Redwood City.

[Marcus Rivelr]

Lot's of shops considering getting out.
The Juice place is losing money out the butt since it is a freeloader place where people buy a $2 coffee and use their Internet all day as a office. They should have secured a place 1/3 the size. If you observe closely; there are a handful of people making money on the Ave. My prediction who will fall next:

Sixtos
Barracuda
CRE8Couch
Quickly
David's Teas
Copenhagen
Pottery Barn
Jougert
Flight
Amiko Boutique
Lacelet
Most of the Art Galleries
Patronik Designs
Ecco
Sur la Table
Banana Republic
Terra Teak
Therapy
Morning Glory
Baskin Robbins

Broadway Ave is even more bleak. It look s like a ghost-town.

Just a prediction.

[Joe]

The city council voted to keep retail "retail":

Commercial real estate at the street level in downtown Burlingame should be primarily reserved for retailers or other businesses attracting shoppers and visitors, said officials opposing a plan to allow medical offices in the central business district.

The Burlingame City Council unanimously agreed Monday, June 7, to uphold current zoning regulations favoring stores, shops, restaurants and other similar businesses operating on the ground floor in the area around Burlingame Avenue.

https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/burlingame-keeping-medical-services-out-of-its-downtown-core/article_1f2e5b5a-cced-11eb-8c2b-7306873471cd.html

[Little Maddy Freshmouth]

Little Maddy Freshmouth probably thinks we should put affordable housing on the ground floors of Burlingame Ave. Why not? It would increase foot traffic.