John Keenan
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:With Roots & Wings signing a lease this week and a late August arrival scheduled for Lincoln’s Le Quartier Baking Co., Countryside Village will be only one storefront away from being 100 percent leased, said the shopping center’s owner, Larry Myers. The closing of Village Stationery at the end of July will create that vacancy, he said.
Locally owned Roots & Wings is a specialty boutique aimed at young women. It has been at Rockbrook Village since September 2008.
Owner Jackie Lund, a graduate of Westside High School, just south of Countryside Village, said she was pleased to bring her store to the neighborhood where she lives.
“Westside’s right across the street, and that’s kind of our target audience.”
Lund said she has always liked Countryside Village.
“It kind of feels like a nice little community,” she said, citing all of the center’s locally owned shops.
Roots & Wings will occupy the space previously housing California Closets, next to the Village Grinder.
Last edited by Brad on Tue Oct 30, 2012 9:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
John Keenan WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:The letters on the sign are red, green, blue and large: Going out of business. Inside Village Stationery, which has had a presence at Countryside Village near 87th and Pacific Streets since 1975, clerks smile as they help customers, but there is a sense of marking time.
Internet commerce has hurt the store, Rasmussen said. “People are doing it all online.” That includes correspondence. Fewer people sending handwritten notes is one of the challenges facing stationery stores, she said.
Owners Larry and Mariana Myers and their son Andrew Myers said they will spend about $400,000 this winter to replace the sidewalks throughout the complex as well as the roofs and the distinctive dark wood fascia on the center's two buildings. They'll replace the dark, peeling wood with a lighter fiber-cement siding in a wood grain.
Janice Podsada: World-Herald staff writer wrote:Yet recently, many who frequent Countryside say they wonder if the shopping center's focus on local, independent stores will continue. Some are even asking if the shopping center will survive. At least nine storefronts are vacant.
In roughly the last two years, several businesses have closed, including Party Patch, the Broadmoor Market and Pattini Women's Shoes. Other retailers, such as Palma Shoe Repair, Early to Bed, Stems, More Sew for You and Countryside Diamonds, now Martin Jewelry, have relocated.
The City is wildly over-retailed. Sometimes niche places like this in good neighborhoods can survive but in the end, there is more competition than anyone needs.
guitarguy wrote:Not that I'm aware of.. not sure they would allow that if they have nick nack art shops in mind.
I think it would really help them if they want to be a "Neighborhood shopping center". A little diversity to bring people in. Other than Starbucks, the place is dead in the evening.
guitarguy wrote:Not that I'm aware of.. not sure they would allow that if they have nick nack art shops in mind.
I think it has only been recently a 'nick back' place. Kinsey's shoes used yo be there forever, we got our school uniforms at a place there in the '60's, there used to be a national garden place on the NE corner....
Certainly is easy to see why they have empty bays if they are restricting the kind of businesses in there. The area would respond well to high end wine/cocktail places that aren't sloshfests.
I think the Market a Basket meets the needs of the neighborhood for a simple brunch spot, the Bookworm has been a stable local bookstore for years, and really has found their niche, now with that coffee shop next to them, and Starbucks always has the Westside kids there... I was surprised at how small La Quartier is, but they seem to be holding on... Maybe they do need a concept overhall to attract businesses that would fit their area. Unfortunately, most bays are so small, a place lke Spirit World couldn't even imagine to locate there.
With their pricing structure (the building all have basements) the owners may be chasing certain retailers away.
Did I hear these are the same owners as Rockbrook?
It was already really empty this summer, then the bookworm left, and now the market basket is leaving. I just hope they can bring in some new local business to fill it back up.
Brad wrote:Has there ever been a restaurant or cocktail lounge in Countryside?
The Market Basket has been open for decades, serving brunch, lunch and dinner.
Also, Mt Fuji Inn and the Mai Tai Lounge were in the Market Basket location back in the 70's, until a fire inspired the move to 73rd and Blondo.
Before the Mai Tai was in that building on 73rd and Blondo there was a restaurant with a live dolphin swimming around in a big tank that you watched while you were eating. It stunk like fish in there like you would not believe.
Another store moving out to new digs in the area... Faces (the day spa / facial place) just sent announcements out about the opening of their new location at the northeast corner of 84th and Center. I believe that building used to be a dentist office.
That's an awful lot of square footage open right now (or pending opening up when Market Basket finalizes their build out at Loveland). Enough to put most shopping centers under. Hopefully the owner can find a way to "right the ship", and re-invent the shopping center with a fresh updated feel, and use the opportunity to redo spaces or attract businesses that will pull shoppers to the area.
Slowmaha wrote:They still advertise $22-25 plus NNN at Countryside... I don't see how they can stay competitive at that ppsq..
That's the asking price. Everything is negotiable. You get the right anchor that pulls in traffic and the price comes down quick. Also, the asking price on loopnet isn't really where the tenants come from. Agents, brokers, networking, etc. That's where they come from.
Slowmaha wrote:They still advertise $22-25 plus NNN at Countryside... I don't see how they can stay competitive at that ppsq..
That's the asking price. Everything is negotiable. You get the right anchor that pulls in traffic and the price comes down quick. Also, the asking price on loopnet isn't really where the tenants come from. Agents, brokers, networking, etc. That's where they come from.
This is a big challenge for the center. But also a big opportunity. If they manage their property right it could end up being a real shot in the arm, with new retailers. The demographics of the area skew very wealthy, if a bit geriatric.
nativeomahan wrote:The demographics of the area skew very wealthy, if a bit geriatric.
I think the demographics are changing quickly. We looked at a lot of houses in that area and they very dated, 60's and 70's. However they all sold very fast and almost every one of them, the first thing that showed up was a large construction dumpster. I know within a block of where we bought, 4 houses are bring completely remodeled right now by young couples. Then I noticed over on Hickory, another dumpster showed up in front of one house and the house next door is for sale too.
With the Demographics changing, its time for a Craft Beer Bar like Krug Park or a Brew Pub to open up in Countryside or 90th and Center.
Brad wrote:its time for a Craft Beer Bar like Krug Park or a Brew Pub to open up in Countryside or 90th and Center.
Has Countryside ever had a bar? They are losing The Market Basket, la Quartier is 'just' a bakery, they lost their Grocer a while ago, way back when there used to be a Fish & Chips place... But a bar?
Market Basket had a "bar", but if you're talking 2am type of bar I don't think Countryside has had one before.. That's not to say they couldn't/wouldn't. As mentioned before, the demographics seem to be changing to affluent younger people, if I'm not mistaken Countryside is now managed by a younger family member.. Could be a good move.. You can only have so many coffee shops and needlework/bead stores..
A craft brew place would be awesome. Heck, I would be happy if they brought in another fish and chips shop. I vaguely remember Arthur Treachers Fish & Chips, facing Pacific Street. Circa 1978.
nativeomahan wrote:I vaguely remember Arthur Treachers Fish & Chips, facing Pacific Street. Circa 1978.
Yeah, that was it, facing Pacific. My father would get take out there all the time. I remember my first fascination with malt vinegar coming from there...
It was somewhere on Pacific Street. I seem to recall a fish and chips place by that name in Countryside Village, but it may have been further east. We are talking nearly 40 years ago. My memory is a bit rusty on the details, but they used to wrap the fish in faux newspaper,
nativeomahan wrote:It was somewhere on Pacific Street. I seem to recall a fish and chips place by that name in Countryside Village, but it may have been further east. We are talking nearly 40 years ago. My memory is a bit rusty on the details, but they used to wrap the fish in faux newspaper,
There was a fish n chips place in the Village in the 70's, I'm guessing it was Arthur Treacher's... Faux newspaper and all...