Don't compare Home Depot to K-mart
Many people are comparing Home Depot to the stores that were there in the past from K-mart to Mervyns and Zayres.
While these stores may be considered "big box" stores in some locations, the Grove location is not really big box. It is smaller than most of the new K-marts and a fraction of the size of many Mervyns.
There was never a traffic problem at these stores and the parking lots were never full. The store management did not try to knock down every tree in the parking lot to make way for more cars and they didn't antagonize the neighbors.
They gave jobs to neighbors but didn't consume the whole area with their presence. These stores did not have a dozen or so huge 18-wheelers delivering merchandise daily. And traffic patterns were not disturbed on US1. In fact, SW 27th Ave. currently has more traffic problems than SW 32nd Ave. ever had.
While these stores may be considered "big box" stores in some locations, the Grove location is not really big box. It is smaller than most of the new K-marts and a fraction of the size of many Mervyns.
There was never a traffic problem at these stores and the parking lots were never full. The store management did not try to knock down every tree in the parking lot to make way for more cars and they didn't antagonize the neighbors.
They gave jobs to neighbors but didn't consume the whole area with their presence. These stores did not have a dozen or so huge 18-wheelers delivering merchandise daily. And traffic patterns were not disturbed on US1. In fact, SW 27th Ave. currently has more traffic problems than SW 32nd Ave. ever had.
posted by Tom Falco at 8:20 AM
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13 Comments:
The reason the parking lots were never full is because no one from the Grove goes to shop at those stores, hence the reason they are gone. Any store that is mildly interesting demand-wise will probably find its lots a lot closer to full, whether its a Home Depot, Best Buy, etc...
My suggestion is for those who are opposed to the very notion of a Home Depot is to accept the fact that they are coming and to do whatever is possible to revert back to the Max Strang architectural concepts. This will keep the only large supermarket (Milam's) in the grove intact while making the best of what you consider to be a bad situation. Asthetically pleasing as opposed to 1970's big box. If you continue to believe you can keep them out, you are wasting your energy and focusing on the wrong priority.
I'd have to say, I somewhat agree with the previous comment. However, not that it matters at this point, but K-Mart had the potential to be quite a busy store. Local residents did not shop there because it was one of most poorly run stores I have ever seen in my life.
Had it been properly managed, stocked and staffed, I think it would have been one of K-Marts best performing stores in the region. Obviously that was not the case and it was subsequently closed.
The point is that had K-Mart been run better and therefore been much busier, would Grovites be complaining about the amount of traffic surrounding the store?
I guess grovites don't actually mind bix box retailers but simply would prefer a poorly performing one.
As a grove business owner and former resident (too much crime!) I must say that what drives me crazy is everytime I hear people say things like "Save Milams" and "Save Ace Hardware."
Firstly, I am not too keen about Home Depot coming here but I have resigned myself to it. Furthermore, I think the most productive thing residents could do is to steer the design towards something that would fit within the Grove's character.
Politicians are exactly that, politicians and even if there was one that wasn't simply looking after their own interests, I don't think one person can go up against all the other politicians.
I digress...
In my opinion, Milams has been taking advantage of grove residents for a very long time. Why should we help them? The store is sad looking, and although the selection/quality has improved, their prices are often times even more than whole foods market.
Their selection only started to improve when Fresh Market started building. Prior to that, Milams could only be counted on for Winn_Dixie quality at Whole Foods Prices. Help them? Get outta here
1) Traffic congestion on US-1 will continue to get worse irregardless of whether Home Depot opens up its store; 2) God forbid anyone knocks down trees in parking lots, I mean they really add a nice touch to massive seas of asphalt; 3) a dozen 18 wheelers? So you're telling me one extra 18 wheeler per hour will be driving on US-1 during only a portion of the day? Do you think other companies along US-1 aren't going to ever need more shipments for their businesses? 4) Traffic patterns weren't disturbed on US-1 with K-Mart's existence? Give me a break. Again, you act as if the Milam's/Home Depot parcel is the most significant factor contributing to traffic congestion on US-1. See, again your stance on the Grove being some little quiet, isolated, "village" enclave is flawed and exposed. The Grove is an urban neighborhood located within both a major city and county that are both experiencing rapid population growth. Traffic congestion on US-1 is determined by growth along the entire corridor, not just one corner at 32nd Avenue. I noticed you're trying to expand your implausible crusade against urbanism to include Coral Gables; so I ask what's next, South Miami? Dadeland and Kendall? Little Havana? Brickell? If you want to put the Grove into a time warp, you're going to have to attack all of these municipalities and neighborhoods too, because their growth has an exponentially more significant affect on US-1 traffic than Home Depot, K-Mart, or any other business at 32nd ave ever will.
For everyone that is now giving up and saying that we should let them build the Max Strang design: you are letting them win. Have you not noticed that since they put the fence up there are no workers there? They are just trying to scare everyone so that they roll over and let HD build there new store.
Let’s call their bluff and keep the pressure on them.
It's obvious that business people are not involved in the movement to keep out HD. If they were, they would be doing exactly as I suggested three or four posts above, which is revert back to Max Strang design...give the unemployed West Grovites a job...keep our only large grocery store in business...clean up a dilapidated corner with a credit worthy business. (Sure, it would be nicer if it were Neiman Marcus, but it is what it is). Be grateful that someone is interested in that site. Don't give them a blank check, but compromise with them and watch the classiest home depot in the country be built. Remember, we are talking about US 1, not Park Avenue or Rodeo Drive. They have a right to be there, so make the best of it. Let's put our energies into increasing the police presence; make us safe to drive to the new Home Depot without being carjacked or a victim of a hit and run. That is what is really important. Thank you. CLL
The thing that sucks about big box stores is that they lack character, put small stores out of business, make the town generic, and have huge parkinglots. It's not the increased traffic or the big rigs. These are simply parts of living in a community (and should be planned for in terms of transportation, etc).
Cocowalk has hurt the character of the grove more than HomeDepot ever could with its cheesecake factories and hooters and fake ambience and ugly garages.
Now we should be fighting for transportation fixes, mixed use buildings and zoning changes as well as keeping the architecture of the neighborhood diverse and interesting.
No, they don't "have the right to be here" because that shopping center is not zoned for an industrial warehouse operation which is what Home Depot is and isn't that what this is all about?
The traffic and congestion created by Home Depot is only a small part of why people in the Grove are upset. Just look at SW 8th Street. The surrounding neighborhood was never like that when Sam's Club occupied that building. Home Depot has proven themselves to be bad neighbors at the SW 8th Street store. Requests for cooperation by the neighbors are met with rude comments. There is constant trash on the streets, people parking all over the neighborhoods because the parking lots are full of nails, trash, and other debris, 18 wheelers unloading in inappropriate places, and vendors set up all over the perimeter of the store selling everything from hot dogs to fruit.
Get used to the idea of the Home Depot coming to the Grove? I think not!!!
Bingo. The previous blog is correct. Thus, the importance of the Max Strang design. A building that the neighbors and Home Depot can be proud of, and more likely to maintain. The big box on 8th street is just that. No reason for anyone to maintain that eyesore. It's just human nature, not rocket science.
Max Strang design or not it's the operation of Home Depot that is objectionable. Allow them in and all the bad things the come with a Home Depot store will follow. Before you know it they will be cutting lumbar and storing roofing materials in the parking lot. No thanks. It's far better to keep them out. Besides, we have a great hardware store right across 27th Avenue, we don't need or want Home Depot.
Home Depot does not belong on that site. It appears one of the posters is a Home Depot lobbyist. The fellow with Max Stang on the brain. Can we hear from actual residents?
I am a resident. I do not want a Home Depot on that site. I do not care how many lobbyists Home Depot hires, none can convince me my quality of life will improve by having 18 wheelers rumble through my neighborhood.
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