A grocery store? Residents, business owners share wish list for future of uptown Columbus
Shannon Zimmerman says the single biggest need in uptown Columbus is a grocery store.
“I’m a resident, I’m a business owner, and I work at Synovus. So I’m always here,” Zimmerman said. “I love it, I love seeing the growth that’s been happening. But we need a grocery store.”
She said she would like to see a Trader Joe’s come to uptown, but recognized she can’t be picky.
“Sometimes when you’re busy you want to use your lunch break to run and pick up some things from the grocery store...it would be nice to have a place to just zip into really quick on your lunch break,” she said. “Honestly that’s the only thing that bothers me that we don’t have down here.”
Zimmerman isn’t alone in her desire for a place to buy milk, bread and other kitchen staples within the uptown sphere: she’s among a large group of uptown residents, many long-term, who are seeing the rise of new developments and getting excited about what the future could bring.
Haley Lyman is a real estate agent who manages short term vacation rentals in the uptown area and is also an uptown resident.
Of all the items on her wish list, she too said a grocery store is the most needed, and that the influx of people now living in and visiting uptown could support a grocery store in a way that it couldn’t in the past. It would likely be a scaled-down version of a traditional grocery store, she said.
“Everyone will say they want a Trader Joe’s or a Whole Foods and I don’t think that’s realistic, I think doing something that is more of a boutique that focuses on what Columbus can support and our demographics and income can support,” she said.
Ross Horner, president of Uptown Inc., said the area gets closer every year to gaining a grocery store. He said there are around 1,500 people living in uptown currently, but more are needed.
“We’re working on it. We’ve had discussions with consultants over the last couple of years and every time we have those discussions and talk to people, it looks more favorable,” Horner said. “But we know that it takes a certain amount of density and the proof has to be there in order for that type of a business specifically to work.”
Involving the community
In mid-December, investor and Ride on Bikes owner Jason McKenzie posted a video tour on Facebook of the building that formerly housed the Outside World Columbus sports retailer.
He owns and recently updated the building, and is hoping to find a new tenant that will add to the character of the uptown area. His post asked his over 4,000 friends what kind of business should go in the building at 1025 Broadway, and suggestions poured in.
Here’s a list of the most popular:
Grocery store/market
Concert/music venue
General/convenience store
Drug store/pharmacy
Dog park
More retail/clothing stores
Pet store
Yoga studio/health and wellness store
Indoor recreation/arcade
Kid’s museum/exploratorium
Record store
24-hour diner
Bakery
Gym
Antique/thrift store
Community theater/screening room
McKenzie said Wednesday that as a small business and property owner, he has a different perspective from most of the commenters on what would thrive and add value to the uptown scene.
“Just from a consumer standpoint all you think about is what you would like to see,” McKenzie said. “But from a small business standpoint, you have to think about what could survive financially and you’ve got to think about all the other things. For example, a grocery store on Broadway just doesn’t make sense...because there’s no parking for a grocery store.”
He envisions the perfect tenant for the vacant building as a specialty retailer, something that can afford the rent in uptown and not take away from or compete with other businesses that exist.
McKenzie said a bridal boutique would fit perfectly.
“I want more retail downtown is really what I want, but it can’t just be your standard retail, it’s got to be something that’s experience-based as well,” McKenzie said. “They have (bridal shops) in Birmingham and Atlanta...they have like champagne when you walk in the door with your girls and it’s this whole experience, it’s not just buying a dress.”
Support vital for local business
McKenzie described the uptown business scene as a pie, with the individual businesses each being a slice. New businesses should add a slice to that pie, not take from others, he said.
“Like we don’t need another women’s boutique in uptown, we have three of them. We don’t need another bicycle shop, that doesn’t make sense,” he said.
McKenzie’s close friend Jason Gamache said he feels similarly. Gamache is another uptown property owner and resident who has renovated several buildings with more in the works. With a few about to come on the market for rent, he said he’s excited to be able to choose what comes to the uptown “village” next.
“My phone has been on fire lately for people that are finally starting to realize what’s happening in uptown and they want to be a part of it,” he said. “But it’s crazy because people keep saying ‘I think I want to dip my toes in uptown soon,’ I’m thinking ‘man you better hurry up’ because it’s getting wild.”
While there is great opportunity for new businesses to thrive, Gamache said there are also challenges to opening a business in uptown that might not exist elsewhere: there’s not a lot of real estate, it’s not inexpensive, and property owners are more particular on what they want in the space.
Whatever the business, the support of the community is vital for success.
“I think people honestly forget the impact that small business makes to the community because it brings something unique and different, it’s not just some big box store, and they’re the ones that are a lot more tangible to keep the money local,” Gamache said. “When you have something really unique in our city people just need to remember to support some of these locally owned and operated businesses.”
And whatever ends up coming to the space McKenzie purchased last January when the sports retailer closed, it will have to fit in with the uptown that exists currently.
“I’m heavily invested in uptown. I live down here, my family has several businesses down here, my really close friends are business owners, and if I screw around it hurts that,” he said. “I would hope real estate companies that are renting properties would have that same mindset of taking care of other businesses.”