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March 04, 2007
Deforestation
 |
| I dined at Redwood Forest once (downtown
Chico). It was quite a while ago. It didn't strike a chord with me,
but apparently many other people enjoyed the establishment.
It's sad to see yet another downtown business close, especially one that
has
been in place and enjoyed by many people. This closure goes hand in hand with other downtown businesses calling it quits including Oy-Vey, Lee's Pharmacy, Main Street Music, Tower Records and Books, Redwood Forest Toy Store, Trends and Traditions, and even Juanita's (Hey Juans). Other important changes in downtown include Chevy's dumping a load of money into an anchor locale and then running screaming from the area. Or both theatres calling it quits. Kinkos and Sports LTD also qualify as exits worth noting. I read a couple of letters-to-the-editor today that have me scratching my head. First there was this referring to the restaurant closure... It would be one thing if it were due to tough times or a lack of business, but to know that a longtime family-run Chico business is being forced to close because of sheer greed is appalling to me. Then there was this... Apparently the owners of the building feel that getting more money from the rental space trumps keeping a popular and successful well-run "non-chain" local restaurant from going forward. |
| I'm not sure where to go with these public complaints.
If Redwood Forest is not closing due to tough times (or the owner's desire
for change), then they should relocate. A business that doesn't own its
building should always be prepared for the financial cost of a move, or should demand a long duration lease. Arguing that greed is the cause of increased downtown rent is either socialist hyperbole or a capitalist reality. Either way it doesn't matter, the property owner has the right to do what they want. That's one of the strange side effects of private property rights. If people want to rent property at a loss, they should buy property and do so. It could also be said that all of the Redwood Forest patrons over the years should have paid more for their meals. The diners greed must have contributed to a lack of profits, right? Alternatively, the restaurant owner could haved raised prices in order to weather increased expenses. Would that be greed as well? No, probably not. Businesses are tough to run. As far as small businesses go restaurants have to be the hardest to run. I think its a shame that another local business will close downtown. But come on folks, are you not seeing a trend over the last decade? Recently, the Planning Commission gathered together with City staff to identify "priorities" for local planning decisions. Each Commissioner rattled off top concerns that included sustainability, open-space, conservation, and alternative energy. No Planning Commissioner mentioned economic development as a concern. We need to recognize that planning for economic development downtown, and throughout Chico, should be a priority. Until then the business environment will continue to degrade. In the meantime the City of Chico is just paying lip service to being "business friendly". Blaming property owners for local business conditions might be convenient but its not going to do anyone any good. |
Posted by Lon at March 4, 2007 09:46 AM
Comments
Lon,
Herreid's Music moved to another downtown location. They are at 824 Oroville Ave, Chico now.
Posted by: Tom Hall at March 4, 2007 10:19 AM
Tom,
Thanks. I'm not sure I'd count Oroville Ave as downtown, but that's my opinion. Even so, the vacancy left on Main Street is pretty "gaping", and is just one of many. For me Herreid's was an extension of Main Street Music which was one of those now missing downtown Chico hinge pins.
In re-reading my post I did make it sound like some of the businesses I mentioned leaving downtown went out of business. I'm not sure what happened to many of them, some may have moved, closed, renamed, etc. I also changed my Herreid's reference to Main Street Music. But both music stores left downtown from the same location.
Many good local and not-so-local businesses have quit downtown. The Abbey Road mural seems so forlorn without some guitars in the windows near it.
Lon
Posted by: Lon at March 4, 2007 10:31 AM
Worth noting that Sound Source music store, in which Herreids has now located, also moved from central downtown (6th & Broadway) before closing altogether. In most cities of a certain size, this usually presages the arrival of a Guitar Center.
The fact is that the margins in the retail musical instrument business are unsustainable unless you have significant buying power. A number of independent stores in the Bay Area (Leo's, Haight Ashbury Music Center, Bananas at Large, etc.) banded (heh) together to amplify (double-heh) their purchasing power, and can now stand up to GC and the big online merchants (American Music Supply, Sweetwater, etc.). In fact, Bananas has become an online powerhouse.
It seems like the strongest music retailer in Chico anymore is the Music Connection, on Cohasset Road, well away from the city center.
As for the Redwood Forest, I think it's shameful that people are promoting a boycott of the new tenant in that space, even though they had nothing to do with RF's decision to close. But I'm not concerned; if those folks' purchasing commitment had been meaningful, perhaps Redwood Forest would be staying. The lack of it certainly isn't going to hurt the Sweet Shoppe. But the people who are making these dire threats are, in my opinion, misguided and spiteful. They say one should never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity, but they are sometimes fellow travelers.
Posted by: Alan Chamberlain at March 9, 2007 07:00 AM