The Market for Commercial Development in Lansdowne
Recommendations on Retail Commercial
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An issue that surfaced in the shopper surveys was the lack of a large modern supermarket. However, the Mar-Win Shop n’ Bag on West Marshall Street has recently doubled in size, and there is an Acme on Union Avenue, a Great Value at the Drexeline Shopping Center, a Super Acme on State Road and Lansdowne Avenue, and other large markets in Clifton Heights and in Springfield. For these reasons, we believe that Lansdowne is relatively well served with food markets.
Because of the estimated $10 million outflow of retail dollars in the “food away from home” retail category, we recommend that the LEDC actively pursue attractive, sit down restaurants as potential tenants for its downtown area. The demographics of the market area are of the appropriate ages and income levels to support this type of establishment. If it is able to generate an additional daytime population in either of the vacant office buildings, or to bring about the renovation and reopening of its theatre, the need for new restaurants will increase. Although the past year has seen a number of new “BYOB” restaurants throughout the region, these businesses are more easily attracted to a location where they have the option to obtain a liquor license either at the time of opening or at some point in the future.
In addition to the lack of restaurants in Lansdowne, there are other retail establishments that are under-represented in the Borough. These include specialty sporting goods stores, like a bicycle shop, a camera shop, and possibly additional independent bookstores. Finally, Todaro’s and Faden’s are interesting examples of small, independent shops selling unique items that are actually destination stores. These types of stores can play an important role in drawing customers in from other locations. Other stores, including the Dollar Tree on Lansdowne Avenue, are national chains with strong financial backing and have been successful in the town.
Lansdowne’s population, and the market for a revitalized commercial area, is predominately white-collar professional and is characterized by Claritas, Inc., in its PRIZM System, as “urban achievers” who are sports minded, ski or play golf, and are more likely than not to be childless. They listen to news radio and jazz, and are likely to read a major newspaper, some type of finance magazine, and Bon Appetit or Gourmet magazines. The secondary market area is more mixed, with a mixture of white and blue-collar people who listen to news radio and read some type of sports magazine.
In order to revitalize its commercial corridors, Lansdowne must have a full time person responsible for implementation and for mobilizing the resources for revitalization. Responsibilities would include organizing the business community, attracting new businesses, coordinating promotional activities, dealing with design issues, and working toward the reuse and rehabilitation of buildings within the commercial corridors. We recommend that the Borough apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for funding under its New Communities/Main Street Program for this purpose.