Gateway's Retail Tenants MIA?

It can't be too hot a commercial market in town if the 3rd and 4th spaces aren't rented yet

Hey Ripplek, I'm glad to see that for someone who said he is new in town you are already up and running as a negative, insulting poster. You will fit right in with the two or three people here who can't do anything but whine and complain. These spaces will fill, and this development is far better than an empty car dealership lot. I hope the addition of these apartments and the units on the Third Street site drive more sales for our businesses downtown.

How was that negative and insulting? It was observational.... if spaces which were rented months ago have adjacent units that haven't rented, doesn't that speak to the market? It wasn't whining or complaining, though it sounds like you do quite a bit of that yourself!

Thanks @levisonh! I am so looking forward to these businesses opening.

To be honest, I'm impressed that the two biggest spaces were rented and announced far before construction on the building was done. Entrepreneurs were flocking to the building even before it was built.

It's my understanding there's been a lot of interest in all the retail spaces (I've referred several business people myself who came to my store and told me they were interested). There are a lot of moving parts, of course, especially with businesses that are moving and the like; it's not always so simple as just signing a lease.

Mostly, though I don't think it's matter of not being able to find tenants but more of a landlord who wants to make sure he's putting in the best possible businesses and the right mix for South Orange instead of the first folks willing to sign a lease. And hey, that benefits him as well: If the Gateway takes their times and places their retail well now, they won't have to worry about filling those spaces again for a good long time.

a vegan/vegetarian/healthy food place would make Bee happy

Have you been to the Dancing Blender? I'm loving it!

Yes - I like them! I was thinking (but not articulating well...) that it would be nice to have a vegan/veg/earthy-crunchy place that had heartier things than salads/wraps.

I'm actually disappointed that a gym is taking prime retail space. I suspect that the landlord was courting such a business in order to say that his building has an in-house gym. Maybe the tenants will get a break on membership. Who knows? What puzzles me though is how the zoning from the parcel suddenly allows such a business, rather than retail as we all know it. Seems a lot like the shift in The Avenue's "retail" space which is going to a doctor's office or PT facility or something. Not what we expected from retail use in either case. Doesn't do much to draw buyers of goods.

jayjayp said:

I'm actually disappointed that a gym is taking prime retail space. I suspect that the landlord was courting such a business in order to say that his building has an in-house gym. Maybe the tenants will get a break on membership. Who knows? What puzzles me though is how the zoning from the parcel suddenly allows such a business, rather than retail as we all know it. Seems a lot like the shift in The Avenue's "retail" space which is going to a doctor's office or PT facility or something. Not what we expected from retail use in either case. Doesn't do much to draw buyers of goods.

It is fantastic that D & I fitness is moving there. This gym has been doing fantastic and has outgrown their current space next to Investors Bank. It is not a run of the mill generic gym. Having a steady stream of gym members coming and going to the downtown area all day is the best way to drive business in the surrounding stores. What did you want there? A Gap?

Just my .02 re: Gym space in Gateway on SOA. I think it is fantastic! Everyone who uses a gym is also a shopper. Right there, more folks are in the building and shopping area of town. It is very easy to shop , do errands, etc on the way to and from the gym.
Although it isn't retail shopping, the gym is a venue which will be a meeting place in town and will attract people to S.O.

Gym. Bunny's. Gym. Diner. Gym. Sonny's. Gym. Tito's. Gym. The proprietor's geese are laying golden eggs.

SouthernBaron said:

Gym. Bunny's. Gym. Diner. Gym. Sonny's. Gym. Tito's. Gym. The proprietor's geese are laying golden eggs.

Ha! I had the exact same thought -- work up an appetite at the gym, then walk across the street to a different restaurant every day.

What's special about D&I? I've never really noticed their current location.

Customer Service;

I text them that I want to work out. I get and eMailback that it is all done. I burned 2,890 cals and built up by upper body today.

I'm done. Pay the bill.

Joke, like total Joke. I wished it was that easy. I'd load the App.

Later, Da
The UPS Store
George

Bee said:

Yes - I like them! I was thinking (but not articulating well...) that it would be nice to have a vegan/veg/earthy-crunchy place that had heartier things than salads/wraps.

The Dancing Blender always seems empty, not sure how this town could sustain another place filling that niche.

Somethingz_Fishy said:

As for the zoning, it's actually something I've looked into. I don't know what happened but sometime down the line, the wording for the zoning at the Gateway became different by a few words from the rest of South Orange Avenue.

http://southorange.org/development/SmartGrowthPlan6-12/FullPlan6-12.pdf
(pgs. 44-45 and preceding map)

Central Business District Redevelopment Plan
The Village Board of Trustees originally adopted a redevelopment plan for the Central Business District on November 25, 1996 with subsequent amendment to include additional properties. The Village adopted an amendment to the Central Business District Redevelopment Plan in 2002, which addressed the entire expanded Redevelopment Area.

Central Business District Redevelopment Plan - Redevelopment Districts

The Central Business District Redevelopment Area is divided into four districts (see “Zoning and
Redevelopment Districts – Downtown Area” map):

• Central Business: According to the Plan, the objective of the Central Business District is to “revitalize the CBD and enhance the economic vitality of the area by providing a variety of opportunities for retail sales and services, offices, residential, an arts center, hotel and public commuter and business parking in a vibrant street-oriented environment.”

• Central Business –1 (ShopRite): The objective of this District, according to the Plan, is to “redevelop the
former Shop Rite site in order to create a mixed use development which will contain a supermarket, retail
space, residential apartments and structured parking to serve the on site uses.”

• Central Business –2 (Beifus): According to the Plan, the objective of the “Central Business-2” District is to “redevelop the former car dealer site for mixed use development which will include retail, residential apartments and structured parking for on site uses. The design of the site should be particularly sensitive to the adjacent Village recreation facilities and open space areas.”

• Planned Residential Development: The objective of this District, according to the Plan, is to “establish an area which permits high density multi-family housing which is located in close proximity to the South Orange train station, thereby minimizing the need for off-street parking and creating incentives for the use of mass transit. The proximity of the housing to the CBD will provide services to the residents and promote additional daytime and nighttime activity in the CBD.”

The three Central Business Districts permit virtually the same land uses. The permitted uses in the three Central Business Districts include the following:

• Retail sales and service
• Banks and financial institutions (excluding drive through facilities)
• Offices above the first floor (except medical offices), which front on Scotland Road, Vose Avenue, Taylor
Place, Third Street and Valley Street shall be permitted on the first floor
• Restaurants and taverns, but not including drive-in restaurants or restaurant stands. Outdoor dining is
permitted if a license is issued
• Public buildings and uses
• Residential units above the first floor
• Indoor theaters, cultural, recreational and educational facilities and other places of public assembly
• Parking lots or parking decks owned by a public and/or governmental entity
• Hotels

These Central Business Districts, however, vary somewhat in the permitted intensity of development (which is regulated principally via permitted building height). The “Central Business” district permits building heights of up to 48 feet (except for lots along Valley Street and Taylor Places where height is restricted to 36 feet). The “Central Business–1” district allows building heights of up to 58 feet/5 stories, while the “Central Business–2” district limits building height to 60 feet/five stories.

The “Planned Residential District” of the Central Business District Redevelopment Plan permits townhouse and multi-family apartment development at a density not to exceed 43 dwelling units per acre. This zone has been developed with the Gaslight Commons project.

The Redevelopment Plan includes a number of design standards intended to reinforce the physical, visual and spatial characteristics of the Redevelopment Area. These standards apply to new buildings on vacant land as well as to renovations of existing buildings and infill construction.

Hard to believe it took 18 years to develop the Beifus site, not counting the lead-up to the tailored zoning adopted for Beifus in 1996 by the Village.

Trans_Parent said:

Central Business District Redevelopment Plan - Redevelopment Districts

• Central Business –2 (Beifus): According to the Plan, the objective of the “Central Business-2” District is to “redevelop the former car dealer site for mixed use development which will include retail, residential apartments and structured parking for on site uses. The design of the site should be particularly sensitive to the adjacent Village recreation facilities and open space areas.”

Did this occur?

That's South Orange for you.....delay after delay after dealy. As for what's going into The Gateway, it's like a real life episode of 'Desperate Housewives' with all the comments from haters! What did you all want another hair supply store? Nail salon? Oh what, you wanted 'Family Buffett' to relocate there? If all the talkers (haters) really knew how things played out in town government....they'd be amazed! Be glad something is going on on the main street through town. Possibly turn your focus in the existing empty spaces.... Blockbuster, The Avenue (gotta love walking past papered-up windows every day)....chances are none of the commenters have ever stepped foot inside a gym, let alone D&I Fitness, nor very few of the other businesses along SO Avenue......it's all static!

Would love to shop downtown more. More mid-scale restaurants wouldn't be a bad thing, nor would a few more specialty stores. I was just curious what was going in the OTHER two spaces, eventually

RippleK - what do you consider mid-scale?

skyfall said:

...the first major hurdle they had was getting the town to overturn a bylaw set into place many, many years ago.....that no such fitness or gym be built-out on South Orange Avenue.

Ranting on about other posters doesn't change the fact that this building's zoning has been in place since 1996.

As to whether a gym or fitness center is a suitable use of a prime retail storefront certainly isn't obvious. Most fitness centers block their windows to create privacy for customers, which hardly contributes to an inviting, walkable streetscape, which probably is why they were banned on SOA 18 years ago, and apparently still are prohibited by the Village.

Since there is now a precedent for spot-zoning with the Avenue, I assume the Gateway will now follow suit, just as you predicted almost exactly one year ago in this post:

Trans_Parent said:

Can't wait until the Gateway's developer lobbies our governing body for permission to fill his first floor on SOA with commercial offices, because he alleges he can't find any bona fide retailers.

Why is the landlord still suggesting a fitness studio to prospective tenants? Seems odd.

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/18349968/9-West-South-Orange-Avenue-South-Orange-NJ/

Flash, mid-scale to me means sit down but not super pricey, basically most restaurants currently in town. I'm not sure what else the town needs, though a place like the departed Laurel in MW would be nice, as would a BBQ joint.

A bbq joint would stink up the place. Nooooooo!

(With the smoke, that is)

Mara's is still coming in ( on the left side ). They're building it now.

That's good to know Jersey, thanks! Anyone know what's supposed to go in at the new development on Valley and Third?

@skyfall, any update on D&I Fitness' move into The Gateway?