Campbell’s Sweets Closing

[Dan Alaimo]

Richard was right. Campbell's was a scotch tape store, especially in that location. And if Campbell's couldn't make enough money to pay what the landlord thinks he/she can get from another tenant, so be it.

I had to look up the reference. Was it to a SNL skit about a store with a very narrow range of products?

[Tim Liston]

Yes. And it should have been clear from day one that market-rate rent in a prime location like that would not leave room for flavored popcorn to be sold at a profit. It never should have opened there. Simple as that.

[Dan Alaimo]

Yes. And it should have been clear from day one that market-rate rent in a prime location like that would not leave room for flavored popcorn to be sold at a profit. It never should have opened there. Simple as that.

Is that corner so much of a prime location that premium rental rates are justified? It seems to me that itis high visibility but not good accessibility.

What kind of business would do well there?

[Jim O'Bryan]

Yes. And it should have been clear from day one that market-rate rent in a prime location like that would not leave room for flavored popcorn to be sold at a profit. It never should have opened there. Simple as that.

Is that corner so much of a prime location that premium rental rates are justified? It seems to me that itis high visibility but not good accessibility.

What kind of business would do well there?

OK , let's think like this. You have a chain of popcorn shops, and flavored popcorn is on the way up. You read about a city that is killing it with restaurants, foods and living. You visit the town during one of the many let's walk up and down Detroit festivals, and think if you could get on the stretch of the city you could make it happen. After all your numbers are killing it. You talk to the city they tell you between the Hospital, and University of Akron and the walk on Detroit parties you should kill it. You talk with the 2 groups representing the area, Downtown Lakewood and Chamber of Commerce, and they assure you Lakewood is cool. So you jump in. Numbers are tough, you live out the lease, the owner asks for 50% more though nothing has been done. The numbers are now impossible, and during the walk up and down Detroit parties there are 3 other groups selling popcorn, brought in by the groups that said, hey that is cool.

The anchor closes and moves, the owner that has watched 3 restaurants go through much better space in 3 years is looking at his corner being empty, and panics, raises everyone's rent. The store above the anchor cannot afford it either, and closes. Meanwhile up the street the same thing is happening with another lot and building a half a block away. 2 blocks west of there another 3 businesses looking to close because of raised lease prices.

The longest business in that location for over a decade was a travel agency.

Back to Dan's question. So what can fit into a double space, with parking for 1 car in off hours from Melt, in a climate where for 40% of the year it is miserable walking and getting around temps.

In the City of Lakewood with Downtown Lakewood still providing valet service at Warren and Detroit? Remember it was their plan to save Cerinos, Ivory Keys, the smoothie place and all of DowntowN.

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[Brian Essi]

OK , let's think like this.... So what can fit into a double space, with parking for 1 car in off hours from Melt, in a climate where for 40% of the year it is miserable walking and getting around temps.

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Mr. O'Bryan,

This is "old" thinking from people like you and me.

The "new thinking" is "walk and biking" 24/7/365.

Mr. Liston would go there in any weather on his bike if the product was good even though he is old.

[Bridget Conant]

The "new thinking" is "walk and biking" 24/7/365.

Oh right, it’s the new hype talk, but look on social media and all the younger people do nothing but complain that “there’s nowhere to park!” in Lakewood. From Lakewood Park to the bars and restaurants, it’s a common refrain.

From what I see, the young millennials are apparently just as demanding of driving and parking as the old folks.

[cmager]

The "new thinking" is "walk and biking" 24/7/365.

Oh right, it’s the new hype talk, but look on social media and all the younger people do nothing but complain that “there’s nowhere to park!” in Lakewood. From Lakewood Park to the bars and restaurants, it’s a common refrain.

From what I see, the young millennials are apparently just as demanding of driving and parking as the old folks.

Brilliant - the true use emerges! The hospital should become a large, valet parking garage with shuttle service to all the restaurants and bars!

[Jim O'Bryan]

[

Mr. O'Bryan,

This is "old" thinking from people like you and me.

The "new thinking" is "walk and biking" 24/7/365.

Mr. Liston would go there in any weather on his bike if the product was good even though he is old.

Brian

Tim might do this. He credits biking with saving his life. I am not sure if he still does, but he used to bike to work everyday, year round. His office was in Strongsville. Tim, and a few I know are legitimate biking animals. From there the fall off is great. Bike shop owners generally bike to work, and some still bike downtown Cleveland even when it is not a critical mass or bike to work day.

However from my experience, publisher of a biking paper for 4 years. The lifestyle often wears thin if not out, when 1) They can afford a carn. 2) They have a child. 3)Tired of showing up wet and sweaty, when places have no showers.

Lakewood tries to push this narrative, while the Mayor actually walks to Lakewood Park about 1/4 mile from his house. But, drives to work, which is a 3/8ths of a mile, and he has a shower in his office. Drive past City Hall, Downtown Lakewood offices, School Board, look at the bike racks. OK most don't have any. The library stands alone on bike racks, equipment, safety etc. Of course the director James Crawford has no problem doing 70 miles a day on a bike no matter the terrain, weather or country. Of course Jim drives to work everyday.

Bikeable community yes. Walkable community well it could be only 2.5 miles wide. But it is not how Lakewoodites think. Even biking is hard to get people to switch too. So generally the only people talking about it is City Hall and sycophants, those that grabbed ten$ of million$ of our dollars so they could tell us walking is healthy, though they themselves drive everywhere, and local realtors.

The concept of Lakewoodites, and/or people at Lakewood Hospital walking to Campbell's was amusing when I first heard they were opening. I mean we had the best popcorn place in the country Poppee's on Woodward, next to Harding and McKinley, with a parking lot, and they couldn't make it.

[Bridget Conant]

Let’s set aside our observational and anecdotal evidence for academic studies.

And so, we will learn that while they talk about it, millennials don't ride bikes more than any other segment of the population

Maybe we need to stop with the false claims. Or continue on in Trump like fashion, spewing claims that don’t stand up under scrutiny.

https://trec.pdx.edu/blog/are-millennia ... tion-bikes

[Pam Wetula]

Lakewood wants to be a "destination". Hence the numbers of restaurants etc...

If Lakewood could support all the restaurants and retail planned it would be one thing. It cannot.

Even if you are successful at the "gentrification" process, you will not have people to support a "destination". Those people are off working to afford those high end condos and townhouses. Nor do the upper crust want to get dirty walking or biking several miles each time they want to eat out.

The population is also aging and while we will be replaced, you might have to put up with us and our failing hips and knees for the next 20+ years unless you make it so unpalatable to live here, we leave. Maybe that is in the plan.

II know families who have moved out of Lakewood because they can never have a holiday event at their home for any extended family because there is insufficient parking.

Back to the first point. Destination Location Lakewood cannot happen without adequate parking and reasonably priced parking. The concept of a "walking community" is nice but that concept is at odds with a "destination" and an entertainment district unless you have available and plentiful parking.

Downtown and other areas of Lakewood will continue with constant business failures until City officials and the Chamber get it right. Some of that money spend to take down the hospital could have been used to build a much needed parking area behind the INA building. What is there does adequately service the needs and is in poor shape. Why couldn't the city and these owners worked out something that made sense?

Pam Wetula

[Dan Alaimo]

* I'm a little surprised that Pam did not mention that the money spent taking down the hospital also involved taking down the hospital parking garage.

* Lakewood Park, Campbell's, some stretches of Madison - the theme is the same: parking. Idealism about walking and biking won't change the fact that people are going to use their cars.

* I had forgotten about the travel agency at the corner location, but a lot of people have probably forgotten about travel agencies, period. What a perfect example of a business that could do well there. Occasional walk-ins, with most customers in remote contact (once upon a time, by phone, now electronic), office space, with the benefit of the front windows acting as a billboard in a high-traffic intersection. But does that justify premium rental rates? I think not. Just rent a billboard.

[Pam Wetula]

* I'm a little surprised that Pam did not mention that the money spent taking down the hospital also involved taking down the hospital parking garage.

* Lakewood Park, Campbell's, some stretches of Madison - the theme is the same: parking. Idealism about walking and biking won't change the fact that people are going to use their cars.

* I had forgotten about the travel agency at the corner location, but a lot of people have probably forgotten about travel agencies, period. What a perfect example of a business that could do well there. Occasional walk-ins, with most customers in remote contact (once upon a time, by phone, now electronic), office space, with the benefit of the front windows acting as a billboard in a high-traffic intersection. But does that justify premium rental rates? I think not. Just rent a billboard.

I didn't mention the hospital garage because it seemed obvious and I was trying not to be a total sh*t by stating all the idiocies that occurred in this hospital give-away! Maybe I should have!!

Parking, parking, parking! We need more in downtown Lakewood or we will be forever screwed.(oops - did I say that?)

Pam Wetula

[Dan Alaimo]

I didn't mention the hospital garage because it seemed obvious and I was trying not to be a total sh*t by stating all the idiocies that occurred in this hospital give-away! Maybe I should have!!

Parking, parking, parking! We need more in downtown Lakewood or we will be forever screwed.(oops - did I say that?)

Pam Wetula

As we get ready for another municipal election, we need to keep in mind the lesson so many musicians have learned. Although we might be tired of them, we need to remember to always play the hits. There are a lot of people out there who might not know them.

[Michael Loje]

The travel agency, from what I remember, did not want to leave, but the landlord wanted Campbell in there. The travel agent relocated to Rocky River, and is still there, so they are a survivor in a business that has changed drastically. And they could have been a survivor in Lakewood.

[Richard Baker]

I don't hate anybody, it’s a waste of energy, but I dislike delusion, deference and denial. This is the second time you have made my comment/opinions personal. As the Editor of the Lakewood Observer you have greater responsibility that goes beyond the allowance of posting conflicting information to your personal political views. The most difficulty accountability that any editor has after opening any dialog for discussion is staying natural. If you don't remain natural, then you have become trapped in your own political one-sided views. I don’t object to opposing views, but when it becomes personal and degrading, I have issues.

Off the subject, Jim, I was raised on a farm and realize that success is not dependent on opinions but hard work and prayer for rain. Why am I conservative? It was when my dad expressed his opinion loudly when Eisenhower announced over the radio that the federal government would be subsidizing farmers not to grow crops because they were less efficient or lazy and they would lose their farms. My dad stated then that this was the end of the small family farmer. Eisenhower may have had all good intentions and influenced by the stupidity of his socialist advisers created the perfect foundation for today's corporate farming that represents 98 percent of all the farming in America. Investors in NYC, Chicago or anywhere would buy stock and like the middle man commodity predators that stalk the hard-working people of the world, would buy all the struggling small farms that banks had over-lent their loans to the farming families. Why there was not a lot more banks executives being buried is a contribute to the character of the families that tilled that land and lost it all to the greed of bankers that convinced them to purchase new equipment and expansion.

Farming corporations abuse the land and environment by over fertilization, unnecessary herbicides and insecticide because they can charge what they want for their crop because the control the tillable land. Less and less land it being tilled for crops but population is going up. You have a concern about he tariffs= wars, t will affect farming corporations. They don't care about the environment, Jim; they have tax write offs and revenue is based on what they don’t grow because it’s all about profit and socialism.