Most people want an inviting neighborhood feel to our village centers. We want them to have a sense of place, to be attractive, convenient and to have small local stores and eateries. However, real estate investors see great profit potential in Newton’s current Zoning Redesign proposal for redeveloping our village centers for high-density residential use with first-floor commercial space. If this zoning proposal is passed, the small local stores will disappear, and that will forever change our village centers.
I am a longtime Newton resident, and I love our community. Professionally, I have been a Retail Development Consultant for municipalities and developers for more than three decades. I’m writing to share what I know about retail spaces in places like Newton
Newton’s first step in Zoning Redesign is to upzone most of the village centers with multi-family housing above ground-floor store spaces. The theory is that those additional apartments will provide an on-site market for existing retail that some believe needs to be revitalized. But many feel the village centers are thriving and charming already.
Wearing my professional hat, I would describe the village centers as a work in progress, but adding residential units in new buildings is not a retail revitalization strategy. Existing shops and eateries are not likely to survive Zoning Redesign for reasons ranging from the devastation of construction to what follows with replacement buildings. Retail success depends on much more than just adding more people to an area.
Our economy was hit hard by COVID. Supply chains are still unreliable. Living, working, buying and recreational habits have changed. People have adopted different needs and attitudes toward consumption, and those attitudes are still evolving. E-commerce took a major bite of brick-and-mortar sales. The economy feels unpredictable. Climate change is here. Every aspect of our lives seems still uncertain.
But retail is bouncing back. The predicted “retail apocalypse” never happened because, while failing stores closed, new concepts were developed and the customer is again shopping. There are waiting lists for space in good malls. The idea that it takes a physical store to serve the customer has been re-established, and e-commerce tenants are establishing a physical presence, often in a mall or a prestige shopping street, like Newbury Street in Back Bay or Charles Street in Beacon Hill. Retail is in a boom.
There are two retailer types in the physical world: corporate chains and independents.
Corporate chains want space in shopping centers and Class A malls. They are backed by investors and financial institutions, and they need mall attributes: good management, ample free parking, vanilla “box” spaces, continuous advertising, and a well-curated tenant mix. The “best in class” malls around Newton are Chestnut Hill and Burlington. The Natick Collection, with its complement condos, never became a successful development concept.
Independent retailers want the characteristics of traditional village centers, and there is robust growth happening with next-generation independent retailers. These retailers are often locals – retirees, young entrepreneurs, and first- or second-generation immigrants. They have a passion for what they do, are customer-driven, and are proud to own and operate their stores. They do not like malls. They seek locations in neighborhood commercial districts, in older buildings where spaces can be small, rents are manageable, and landlords flexible. New independent retailers are popping up in Newton, but even more in neighboring towns where the rules for starting a business are thought to be simpler than in Newton. These independents depend on convenient village parking, because shoppers drive to village centers to reach destination stores, like Barry’s Deli in Waban, Rosenberg Bagels in Newton Center, and Cabot’s or Ranc’s ice cream in Newtonville.
One problem with rezoning our village centers is that the proposed new residential buildings will provide a bland shopping experience. These mixed-use towers are suitable for corporate coffee shop chains, especially if public land is provided for outdoor tables, as was the case at Austin Street plaza. However, the ground-floor commercial spaces in newly constructed apartment complexes look like mall spaces awkwardly placed in a village. These spaces do not appeal to new retailers who value history and the unique storefronts that older buildings offer. The new buildings are usually too big and too expensive for independent retailers, who are displaced by the new higher retail rents. Newtonville Camera, for example, couldn’t afford to stay at Trio, and was displaced to Waltham. The ground floors of newer buildings often remain vacant or are leased to non-retail businesses like banks, real estate, and medical offices.
If we want the option to shop and to eat locally with independent retailers in our village centers, there needs to be a concerted effort to preserve the historic character and spaces found in Newton’s current suburban fabric.
If Newton really wants to encourage independent local merchants in the village centers, there are proven strategies such as:
- The Main Street Programs: https://www.mainstreet.org/mainstreetamerica/successtries
- Urban Land Institute Initiatives: Creating Great Town Centers and Urban Villages | ULI Knowledge Finder
New independent retailers are leasing space in our village centers. We have a choice. Shall we keep them, and our village centers, thriving? Or will Zoning Redesign displace what we love with corporate chain stores, offices and banks? Which village center shopping experience do you want?
