Retail Institute: 2004
CDCs ARE LOOKING FOR RETAIL ANSWERS…

2004 Annual Conference Los Angeles
Resident-Driven Retail, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and a Mexican Supermercado.

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS…was the theme of the Retail Institute of the NCCED Annual Conference in Los Angeles. One day of training in retail development attracted CDCs from North Carolina, Florida, Connecticut, Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania, New York, Kansas, California, Illinois, Tennessee and Texas that are planning or just beginning to think about their first retail development project. CDCs looking for answers wanted to know, among other things, how to decide if they had a market, where to find financing, how to attract tenants, how to evaluate a site they already control or acquire a new site.

A team of experienced, successful CDC retail developers from Chattanooga, the Bronx and South Central Los Angeles presented their three developments, the Grove Street Center, New Horizons Retail Center and Gigante Center, urban developments ranging from 18,000 to 134,000 square of basic retail.

Daphne Sloan, President & CEO of Westside CDC has created with the community the Grove Street Center in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. Grove Street Center is 18,000 sq.ft. of “resident driven” retail in response to the community’s stated needs. The Dollar General variety/department store is also an employment training facility for 30 Westside residents that are trained there and then move on the other retail jobs, the Westside Laundry, a police substation and a planned grocery store.

Cicero Wilson, Mid Bronx Desperados’ President & CEO shared his retail experience in “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly” of the recently opened 134,000 sq.ft. New Horizons Shopping Center in the Bronx. Tenants there include a 49,000 sq.ft. Pathmark Supermarket Super Center (24/7), Washington Mutual Bank, Radio Shack, Clean-Rite Laundry, Petland, Calidad Furniture, Famous Brands, GameStop, Subway, GNC, Fashion Cents, Food Locker, Payless ShoeSource, Rainbow Women’s Apparel, Lens Lab Express, Rockaway Bedding, Regines, Hollywood Video, H& R Block, Paramount Decorators, Lot Stores, and Popeye’s Chicken. Over 75% of the 300-350 hires are from the Mid Bronx Desperado CDC community.

In the afternoon the Retail Institute went on site to the new 60,000 sq.ft.Gigante center in South Central LA. Participants toured the Gigante supermarket and then were invited to hear how the development went from an idea to a busy center of retail activity. Marva Smith Battle-Bey, Vermont Slauson EDC President & CEO lead her experienced development team in a discussion that included financing, relations with the city and construction obstacles. The Gigante Center is the third retail development over a 20 year period for the Vermont Slauson CDC.

In a new feature this year -Participants were invited to schedule at their convenience a free hour of consultation about their proposed project with an experienced developer to get them beyond theory to“first steps”for their developments.

RETAIL RESOURCES: A Series of Basic Tips and Guides for CDCs Considering Retail Development. Retail Institute 2002 .

This text of the resource book can be found on NCCED web site under Topics of Interest, Retail Development.