What's with the greedy landlords?
A popular store on Commodore Plaza was given four days to vacate the premises. No reason given, just another greedy landlord, they paid their rent on time and were even made to pay a large insurance premium for the year and then after paying were told to be out fast. They may be relocating at the Mayfair.
The Guess store on Grand Avenue is out, it was their flagship outlet store, they wanted to stay, but the landlords on that block would like to see a whole row of empty storefronts rather than accommodate their long standing tenants.
This is happening all over the Grove. Stupid or greedy landlords, not sure which.
The Guess store on Grand Avenue is out, it was their flagship outlet store, they wanted to stay, but the landlords on that block would like to see a whole row of empty storefronts rather than accommodate their long standing tenants.
This is happening all over the Grove. Stupid or greedy landlords, not sure which.
posted by Tom Falco at 9:00 AM
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22 Comments:
can't wait for part II of this story...you know the part where the landlord says the guy hadn't paid the rent in 6 months. i'm pretty sure laws protect law abiding people from getting 4 days notice to vacate.
Or the fact that they may have been month-to-month. Which was the case.
G by Guess has known they were closing that store for the past few years. They have been waiting for their lease to expire. The landlord would love to keep them. FYI- American Apparel will be gone soon as well. Sales in the grove have been falling off of a cliff for the past few years and are not getting any better.
Yes, G wanted out because of the greedy landlord, just like all the other empty storefronts on the same block owned by the same greedy landlord. Of course the landlord wanted them to stay at overpriced rents.
The side of the street which has the American Apparel shop is so unappealing to shoppers. The sidewalks are narrow and dirty. The "planters" are just dirt. I believe so much of the Grove would benefit from a good cleaning, some plants and a fresh coat of paint. The areas in Miami that everyone refers to as doing well are aesthetically attractive and therefore more welcoming to shoppers.
The Guess store is so dark and dreary looking - sure not inviting to people passing by. These landlords - most of whom don't even live here - have to get a grip, they are killing the Grove not the 3am bar closings.
Vidya and Anon 12:52 - I absolutely agree.
well what about switch? which is in that same strip. opened and closed within a month. i'm pretty sure i missed the opening.
Did Switch even try to make themselves known? They were tucked away into that little corner with very little visibility.
All the landlord, this and that aside, how is this stores karma to the rest of the Grove? Remember, what comes around usually goes around.
Someone needs to explain to me how a "greedy" landlord benefits from having empty space.
Greedy landlords do not benefit, except everytime they get a new tenant, they get several months rent & security so if the business fails they are still sitting pretty. They don't even care if we have 4 pizza shops and 4 ice cream shops, they don't look for a good mix.
Im 30, I grew up in Broward but always loved the Grove. It was so cool. When i was in my teens id come down all the time - Marinos , miami subs , tu tu tango , hooters , just for feet ,cool clubs i wanted to go to but couldnt. I now work here - 3 years now. The Grove sucks. i eat lunch here every day, and there are nice spots Georges, Chicagos, greenstreets. BUT this place is depressing. There is no life. I drive home every night around 8 and the streets are empty. The stores are empty. the restaurants are here today and gone tomorrow. Sandbar is a criminal opperation who has bullied dozens of great customers into not coming back. There is NO reason to spend money in the Grove except for lunch when Im forced to.
Id love it to change, but it wont. It continues to get worse.
tell me Im wrong
UGGHH once again South Miami, Coral Gables. Ask Georges why he is opening there and then you will get it. Tonight meter near sailing club wanted $6 minimum so we and another car pid nothing. Screw MPA. Gables, South Miami easier access, more variety.
South Miami has been packed in the cold PACKED Iwas there today at lunch time beyond packed.
Everyone really needs to stop knocking the Grove. All the bad comments really effect our business and how people really feel about this place. If everyone would just try to leave one happy comment maybe it would put some positive energy into this really great place. The Grove is really a fabulous place that has fallen onto hard times. It has happened before and we have rebounded. It has happened to almost every area. We all need to come together and be positive and get some good karma out there and spread the word that the grove does have some great shops and excellent restaurants and it happens to be a really great community.
Tula and Tupi,
I second that emotion!
Tula and Tupi are right - these merchants are putting their money and energy into the Grove only to be bashed by some of you; you are your own worst enemy. Make a resolution to say something positive about the merchants and restaurants so people reading this blog will come to the Grove.
I love and support the Grove, but my comment about cleaning areas up a bit is a hopeful and practical suggestion. Landlords and retailers need to take pride in the outer as well as the inner appearance of their shops and buildings.
The Grove has so much to offer in it's natural beauty and charm; there's no place like it in Miami. But, if stores want to attract shoppers and diners, it has to be appealing and welcoming. A little paint, a daily sweep and a few plants or pots are fairly simple and inexpensive. Other issues may need city approval and long debates... these do not.
The comments directed at Landlord's by many on this blog (particularly Grapevine)are misinformed and evidence a misunderstanding of the fundamentals of commercial real estate. Could some of the Landlord's negotiated better terms to keep some fo theses tenants, perhaps. But if a retailer doesn't have the sales volume adn traffic then they will have a difficult time justifying maintaining a particular location. Which is my understanding regarding the Guess location. Question is: Who is responsible for this? The retailer or the Landlord. Numerous visits to this store indicated a lackluster retail experience, poor lighting and merchandising. Storefront windows fronting onto McFarlane were empty, save for a mural. Parking is an ongoing issue for all commercial activity (office, retail and restaurants) in the Grove. Until that is addressed effectively (i.e. free short-term (less than 1 hour) solution or free valet) then businesses will struggle. Landlord's do not like vacancies and contrary to some posts do not profit from rotating tenant's in and out of a space. They like long-term stable tenants. Do they need to adjust their rent expectations to reflect a changed consumer environment, most likely. But if you see a national tenant moving out it's most likely due to a lack of sales rather than a "greedy" Landlord who is unwilling to negotiate a reduced rate.
Then please explain why that whole block is almost empty and void of stores. Is the landlord right and all the store chains: Sephora, Guess, Qdoba, etc. wrong?
There are a combination of factors at play for that particular property and also for the Grove at large. Ease of parking is one of the biggest deterrents as I mentioned previously that can be creatively addressed. Calamari's free valet works, for example. The design and layout of buildings in question contribute to their under performance. A better designed property would certainly help. The Guess space is going to be a challenge to release due to its large size. The Qdoba space suffers from limited exposure and no foot traffic on that side of Grand. Not to say that a destination tenant like Chili's couldn't have made it work but it makes it tougher. The second floor 7,000 SF that Old Navy vacated quite some time ago is also too big and is challenging to access. They have been unsuccessful luring a retail tenant and have resorted to marketing it to nontraditional office users, which is not a bad idea (not unlike the upper floors at Mayfair). One of the problems with the Grove is that they don't really know who their target market is and the competition continues to mount with new alternatives cropping up each year (Design District/Midtown and Brickell, recently). It isn't South Beach nor is it the Gables. Targeting a combination of locals and tourists with some sort of validated parking system or short-term parking would help. When you see retail locations like Fresh Market(their #1 location in sales nationally, I'm told), Greenstreet, Jaguar and George's thrive then you realize that if you have good ownership/management and deliver a good product you can make it and profit. Clearly, unrealistic rent expectations of Landlord's are part of the problem but not the entire problem, either.
Aren't there laws on I pay you rent and get the insurance you requested and then you take and say good now you have a couple days to leave? I mean this happens on my soap operas but that is a soap and not reality? Is there another side I am missing or did the store really default and lie about paying rent? Or did the rent they paid was for back rent they owed? Just asking.,
and BTW I love the Grove been in the Grove for over 20 years. I no longer live there but when I can I like to go there because I love feeling I get from there.
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