Va. Beach misses the mark

[urbanvb]

Here is one for ya from this week's edition of Inside Business.

INSIDER NEWS

Hot property at Pembroke

Town Center area lands vitamin shop and dollar store

By Janet Dunphy

Monday April 4, 2005

Looking to locate a retail operation in the Central Business District of Virginia Beach? If you

[urbanvb]

Just what Pembroke does NOT need is a dollar store, geesh. I am still hoping one day that whole Kmart plaza is razed. But look at all the Starbucks. There is one at Barnes and Noble, Columbus Village East and now the corner of Indy and the Blvd. And you can almost rest assure the Town Center will have one nestled somewhere in there. So that would be 4 Starbucks within a little over 2 city blocks.

[vdogg]

Virginia Beach needs to make up its mind, are we trying to urbanize or not? I mean a dollar store?! Give me a break. That is hardly the best use for land around towncenter. I really hope that city council starts guiding these developments a bit better. Needless to say, I am very dissappointed by this development.

[urbanvb]

The problem here lies in that the city does not own the land so developers are free to choose whomever they wish.

[mistermetaj]

So are they trying to save the kmart? And also, what the hell. I frickin dollar store and vitamin store. How the hell does that turn into a cultural center of virginia beach. Come one, come all, and visit virginia beach's downtown, filled with cheap stores and dietary products. Wow, just when you think the planners finally move in the right direction, they go and pull this. Why the hell would they want to have a pizza hut, dollar store, and vitamin store at the "hot spot" of the pembroke downtown area. this is disgusting.

[vdogg]

I'm kinda surprised that inside business would even do this story. Since when was a vitamin shoppe and a dollar tree news in Va. Beach. I hope the planning comission does not approve these projects, it will absolutely destroy any type of urban feel we're trying to get in that area.

[ace707]

I'm sure everyone who put a deposit at the Comsopolitan and Westin did it for the convience of having a dollar store (exaggeration fellas, don't take me seriously with this reply)

[vdogg]

I think i need to walk away from the computer now, I cannot believe how much this is irritating me . I have half a mind to write a council member and ask them what in the world they were thinking.

[urbanvb]

I'm sure everyone who put a deposit at the Comsopolitan and Westin did it for the convience of having a dollar store (exaggeration fellas, don't take me seriously with this reply)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

haha. You betcha. Gotta spend the big bucks somewhere... why not, Dollar General??

[urbanvb]

I think i need to walk away from the computer now, I cannot believe how much this is irritating me . I have half a mind to write a council member and ask them what in the world they were thinking.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

PLEASE do. Maybe we could write an email and send it around to a few of us here to sign... for whatever that would be worth.

[vdogg]

On a side note, i think this is the one time we've gotten everyone in this forum to agree on something .

[mistermetaj]

Even better, i mean, after going to the theater, why spend money at Bravo when pizza hut is down the street. After all, next to a dollar store, it is the all encompasing vision we think of when we say "classy"

[vdogg]

PLEASE do. Maybe we could write an email and send it around to a few of us here... for whatever that would be worth.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not much in this city, trust me. It's sad to say but i don't think they'll even give us the time of day .

[mistermetaj]

where can we get a councilmen's email. I am ready to write.

[mistermetaj]

it doesnt matter, we should still write, whether it elicits a response or not.

[ace707]

look on the bright side, we can hope its an "upscale" vitamin shop so they realize that how horribly sickening it is when we see the dollar store. After that we can take those same products and throw them down the sewer because that means if this keeps up, Town Center's success will go down the sewer sooner than they built it.

[vdogg]

where can we get a councilmen's email.  I am ready to write.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

http://www.vbgov.com/city_hall/citycouncil/. All of them are listed. I'd start with the mayor first and work my way down the list .

[mistermetaj]

i wish obendorf had power, she would side with us.

[urbanvb]

Ya know that makes me think about when MacArthur Mall let the Dollar Tree go in. I STILL cannot believe that happened.

[vdogg]

If this starts happening i'm moving to Norfolk, lol. I have been one of the most ardent defenders of the towncenter ideal at every board i post on. I would hate to think i am wasting my energy on a foolish concept.

[mistermetaj]

and i didnt read the whole article, but are they also trying to save the kmart complex?

[urbanvb]

If someone likes the Dollar General, please don't take this personal (I have heard they have some good things )but honestly that is the cheapest of cheap stores anywhere.

[ace707]

Ya know that makes me think about when MacArthur Mall let the Dollar Tree go in. I STILL cannot believe that happened.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Even worse, it's not even a Dollar Tree! It's a no name brand that we all hardly know about! You're not the only one sick about that, I'm still as shocked as you. But on the real, I think it's not as bad as the one at Town Center simply due to the fact that they are using land rather than space at a mall. Everyone driving around there will see that dollar store. That will be a bigger eyesore than the abandoned HQ and the rundown looking Kmart!

[vdogg]

and i didnt read the whole article, but are they also trying to save the kmart complex?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They must be. It seems to me it would be foolish to put a dollar store on a property that your trying to develop into an urban office/condo complex. The whole pembroke area seems like now its going to turn into this grotesque kaleidoscope of ideas that do not compliment eachother one bit.

[urbanvb]

where can we get a councilmen's email.  I am ready to write.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pembroke Realty is the one who rented out the space.