Weekend Open Thread
Did DelDOT hide reason for $4 million project? (link)
Trial opens Monday in deadly Howard High assault (link)
Ex-Phils skipper Dallas Green to be memorialized in native Delaware Saturday (link)
Local malls may need makeovers to stay competitive (link)
If you wish to show support or comment on one of the bills creating additional tax brackets on the higher earners please note the following committee meeting scheduled for this Wednesday. This bill is going to need a display of people support to get voted out of committee. John Kowalko
House Revenue & Finance Meeting Notice
Meeting Info
Committee:
Revenue & Finance
Chairman:
Keeley
Date/Time:
4/5/17 3:00 PM
Location:
House Majority Hearing Room
411 Legislative Avenue
Dover, DE 19901
Downloads:
View PDF
Agenda
Legislation
Sponsor
Description
HB 109
Kowalko
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PERSONAL INCOME TAX.
Sarah Wootten
Policy Director
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“If this access road were to come to fruition I would suspect that the owner of the mall would be inclined to invest in the property to make it more competitive,” he says.
”
hahahahahahahaha
So, the plan is, build a bunch of access roads around a dying mall in a city whose only broad attractions are the NASCAR speedway and the casino. Do this without any public assurances whatsoever from the owner of said dying mall that they are willing to invest in it. Then, watch the mall die anyway.
I’m sorry, but they’re not getting people coming off of Route 1 to go to a mall in Dover. Most of those people are headed to the beaches, where there’s no shortage of shopping. Many of them got on Route 1 in the vicinity of the Christiana Mall.
The fact that the owner didn’t comment for the story tells it all. They’re not bullish on this property.
I thought the one who wouldn’t comment was Allied, which is owned by Frank Acierno, who does not have a good relationship with the press. Or government. Or his former in-laws. Or humans in general.
Ah, no, you’re right. Simon is actively pushing for this project. Which doesn’t make it any less stupid, but what do I know? I’m just a person who shops.
Simon is the Kent County economic development guy. It’s like being the head of solar energy research in West Virginia — an oxymoron.
You weren’t wrong about any of the rest of it.
There’s a little secret that even the people who get elected don’t seem to know: If someone is coming to the government for money, it’s because they couldn’t raise any of their own.
Look at the Dover Mall on Google maps. The current access to Route 1 is about a half-mile north of the mall, and that isn’t through a maze of city streets, it’s a clear shot on US 13. It takes literally two minutes, three if you miss the light, to reach the mall.
Access is not the issue. As the article makes clear, the issue is that all but the top 10% of malls are dying and will disappear within a decade. We have two healthy malls in the entire Philadelphia region: King of Prussia and Christiana. The others are going or gone.
Here’s a Philly.com article on the new Legoland at Plymouth Meeting Mall, which Delawareans only know because it’s the mall next to the Ikea store.
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/Legoland-Auditions-To-Be-A-New-Mall-Star-.html
That’s where mall retail is going, and the people who own the Dover Mall don’t show any signs of understanding that.
DUPONT: “Once the Dow and DuPont merger is complete, the Haskell portion will become the global hub for the combined company’s testing operations…”
FMC: “Stine-Haskell is going to become the global R&D center for FMC and our primary discovery center.”
A global testing hub?……Sweet!….You can’t have too many pesticides and GMO, I always say.
@Alby: Exactly.
The health of the retail world reflects the health of the economy at large. High-end stores, and any that can position themselves as high-end, are doing well. Low-end stores (Wal-Mart et al) are doing well. Everything in between is desperately clinging to life. That would be Macys and JC Penney and Sears.
Oddly enough, when I moved from Northern Virginia, the Springfield Mall (the one there, not the one in PA) was in the middle of a major renovation. The first thing to go was the movie theater, because the owner thought it attracted too many teenagers (aka hooligans).
The article you linked talks about entertainment and “experiential retail” as the future of malls. And they just finished building a movie theater at the Christiana Mall. Wonder how that Springfield Mall is doing right now.
Maybe they can make an exit sign at the mall saying short cut to the beach and they will turn around and go home
To wit, re Sears. They are not much longer for this world. Family is gathering. The plug will be pulled imminently it seems.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/business/edward-lampert-sears-kmart.html?_r=0
Ironic that an icon like Sears, born out of the buy sight unseen mail order delivery model is tumbled by companies that do exactly the same thing today.