The Market for Commercial Development in Lansdowne

Lansdowne’s Competitive Position

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Many of Lansdowne’s advantages and selling points are created by the extent to which it differs from some of its further out suburban neighbors. At first glance, it appears to operate at a disadvantage to these neighbors because it is an inner ring suburb without the available land that attracts large-scale new development, and because it lacks the highway access that can be found at locations closer to such major highways as Route 476. It is, however, the exact opposite of Springfield Township, and can use this to its advantage. Lansdowne’s advantages include:

  • Excellent transit access that makes it just 15 minutes from Center City Philadelphia;
  • Good road access to the City and the Region;
  • The character of a pleasant and convenient place to be, where service is good and storeowners are friendly, helpful, and offer personal service;
  • Exceptional architectural character, including its two historic districts;
  • A committed community that gets involved in its issues and maintains its character;
  • A number of arts groups involved with theatre, dance, and music;
  • A relatively dense residential area within walking distance of downtown;
  • A taxing structure that does not levy an Earned Income, Mercantile, or Use and Occupancy Tax.

Lansdowne, in fact, is not a retail commercial location in the sense that Springfield Township or 69th Street in Upper Darby are. Only four percent of the Borough’s total land area is zoned for commercial use. Lansdowne’s population is not growing, making it less attractive to retailers than higher growth, farther out suburban areas, and there is not enough available land downtown to attract larger retailers like Barnes & Noble. Although municipal parking lots appear to be adequate for the level of business that the Borough currently attracts, a recent visit to the parking lots near the SEPTA station showed them to be full before 9 AM. There is also the perception, and often the reality, of traffic congestion along Baltimore Pike and on South Lansdowne Avenue.

Although there are a few establishments that function as destination stores, like Todaro’s music store and Faden’s jewelry store, the relatively small number of stores in Lansdowne’s Central Business District at Lansdowne Avenue and Baltimore Pike do not currently offer a wide variety of goods and services. Consequently, shoppers who go to Lansdowne and Baltimore are unlikely to make multiple stops, and, if this is their goal, may choose to go to Springfield Township instead. Finally, when comparing the results of a business inventory conducted by the LEDC in the summer to the results of two field trips taken during the fall, it became apparent that there is a high turnover rate among some of the retailers in the Borough. Typically, this happens when a business lacks a business plan and is under-capitalized.

While the Borough is not currently a prime retail location, it is still at this time a pleasant place to be with an active civic life, excellent accessibility, and a wealth of historic architecture. This, coupled with its lack of an Earned Income Tax, makes it a prime location to grow small businesses. In fact, because the population of its primary market area is under 12,000 residents, and because there is so much shopping in Springfield Township as well as in Drexel Hill in Upper Darby, Lansdowne must add more shoppers if it is to add more shopping. We recommend that it do this by adding to its daytime population by attracting and encouraging small businesses to its downtown, and by making it easy for them to thrive. Following are recommended strategies for both office and retail commercial by location.

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