New Haven Independent

Posted by: Ben Berkowitz | February 19, 2007 2:16 PM

The Bottega Conglomerate has pioneered many trends in New Haven. It would be great to see them move somewhere between Church and State on Chapel. Their occupancy and other retailers hoping to feed off their business might help to stabilize the area.

Posted by: charlie | February 19, 2007 3:46 PM

If you think that area isn't already "stable", that's a huge mistake. Prices in that area are so high that nobody can afford to buy or renovate buildings. The retailers are beginning to turnover, and that trend will accelerate as leases expire and the Shartenberg site is developed. If Bottega really wants to pioneer a new area, they should try moving up Chapel, perhaps near Howe or Dwight.

Posted by: RG | February 19, 2007 7:19 PM

"stable" or not, something needs to be done about lower Chapel. Specifically the area between Church and State. NuHaven may have been pushed out, but did we really need another dollar store down there?

Posted by: Ben Berkowitz | February 19, 2007 8:28 PM

Charlie,
"Prices in that area are so high that nobody can afford to buy or renovate buildings."
I'm not sure how this statement equals stability.
Also, we must be talking about a different street as more than half of the buildings on the street have been or are in the process of being renovated between Church and State.
Also, if they're being "turned over" then they must be affordable to someone.

Posted by: Chapel Street | February 20, 2007 10:15 AM

Want to fix lower chapel? Move the bus stops.

Posted by: Ben Berkowitz | February 20, 2007 1:49 PM

CHAPEL STREET,
I understand the point you are making, but the undertones of such a move are much stronger than the practicality of your statement.
In other words, It will never happen in New Haven.
Though I don't believe residential gentrification is occurring downtown, what we are talking about is retail gentrification and that is an equally touchy subject.
Moving the bus stops along with rent hikes would not be a delicate way of creating the desired retail atmosphere. Mass transit and high-end retail should be able to co-exist peacefully.
The corner of Temple and Crown and the corner of Chapel and College both have large bus stops yet they continue to flourish.

Posted by: charlie | February 20, 2007 6:11 PM

I agree with Ben on the issue of bus stops. The stops should stay (the shelters are being redesigned at the moment I believe and will be $250,000 a piece; so hopefully they will look a lot nicer!). Diversity is good. The issues should be trying to attract larger retailers that have more affordable goods. Ben I just brought up the portrayal of lower Chapel as somehow "unstable" - I think it's actually quite stable and you'll see a ton of development there as the renovated buildings come online. As it is now, someone is building very expensive condos in the building right on the corner of Chapel and Orange, and I know more than one higher-end retailer is scouting the area. To use another example, Starbucks just opened a block to the west, and they are paying a very, very high rent (reportedly nearly $40/SF) that would have been unheard of in the area a few years ago.

Posted by: RG | February 20, 2007 8:00 PM

No one can argue with the need for mass transit and retail to co-exist and the benefits of such partnerships. However, the bus stops at the corners of Church and Chapel and Orange and Chapel are just terrible. They are completely overrun by loiterers- people up to no good who aren't even riding the busses. These individuals drive away potential shoppers. We have no chance of attracting upscale retail operations to the area until something is done.

Posted by: craig | February 20, 2007 8:09 PM

On another note, as long as we are discussing that particular area, there really should be some tighter regulation on signage for those retail locations. The giant neon sign for the tattoo parlor is hideous and Subway has giant signage as well. When you go one block up, where Yale owns the building signage is much more controlled and appropriate for the size of the stores.

The issue of the bus stops is so simple. Retailers that will attract the demographics of New Haven bus riders will seek to locate near the stations. Just as retailers that seek a Yale customer base will locate adjacent to Yale.