Thinking Outside the Big Box
Bring up Big Box stores coming to Downtown El Paso, and you might get your ass kicked. Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, yeah these are the places I’m talking about.
Among the reasons why people are against them coming to a downtown near you are (some might seem really silly):
- They’ll tear down historic buildings to build their ugly warehouse style stores.
- They’ll take business away from current shopkeepers.
- They’ll “de-Mexicanize” the Segundo Barrio.
- I wouldn’t use a Downtown Target, Wal-Mart or Circuit City over the ones on the Westside and Eastside that already exist.
- They’re ugly.
- They’re noisy (eh they probably are huh?).
I’m sure I missed a whole load of reasons, but as you can see, none of them are really that good. Business is business, right? Our city, and their elected officials should strive to get what is best for those living in this city (especially those living, or aspiring to live in downtown), correct?
As it stands, there is no place for those living downtown or in the Segundo Barrio to get goods 24 hours a day in their area. The rest of the city does not have this problem. We’re always talking about having things within walking distance, could the Segundo Barrio and Downtown benefit from a Big Box Grocery store they could walk to, which is open 24 hrs a day? Yup.
If the elected city officials were good, they would realize that they can bring these big box stores to downtown, under THEIR conditions, under OUR conditions. What I mean is that they can put them where they want, they can make them assimilate to Downtown El Paso. It has happened in other cities. If a big box store ever ends up in Downtown El Paso, and they are not willing to build a non-traditional store, or city council does not make them assimilate to their surroundings, that would be a huge blunder.
What I mean by non-traditional store is have the big box stores open in multi-level buildings, they could be existing buildings. Yes, possibly those abandoned ones. Actually, preferably existing multi-level buildings. Make them do the renovations, make them want to come to Downtown El Paso so bad that they are willing to do anything to build there.
Check out the examples below:
Links:
Big Box Goes Downtown
Big-Box Costco Goes Downtown, Mixed-Use
Targeting changes in big box stores
Change is the only constant. Let’s stop pretending that many things like a movie theater, big box store, or well known restaurants would hurt downtown, white wash it, or de-Mexicanize it. Those vacant buildings gotta be used for something.
-gabem
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5 Comments, Comment or Ping
djquinones
i must say that my attitude towards the idea of a “big box” store in Downtown has always been unfavorable. When I heard “Wal-Mart” or “Target,” I would think of a huge warehouse-looking thing with a parking lot of equal or greater size. The links above, however, show that Wal-Mart and Target have the ability to conform to an area’s aesthetics. If this is what El Paso’s elected officials are thinking, they need to get the message out. I consider the best way to beat your rivals is by simply proving them wrong. I figure, or hope, at least, that City Council is aware of these types of big box stores. Here are two reasons these big box stores, assuming they conform to Downtown’s aesthetics, will be good for Downtown:
1) Wal-Mart has everything you need: food, beer, toilet paper, and guns. One reasons I hear the low amount of people living Downtown is a lack of access to life’s aforementioned necessities. Wal-Mart can supply those necessities.
2) If you visit Downtown at it’s busiest hours, you DO see people shopping, but you can also mistake it for Juarez, given the large amount of Mexicans you see; that said, Mexicans love Wal-Mart and think that everything on THIS side of the border is better than over there (unless you are a drug dealer). So while they have their own Wal-Mart, at least I’ve heard they do, they will still come to one Downtown.
Jun 8th, 2007
gabem
Having discussions with a colleague of mine this morning, she lives in Segundo, we came down to one very important point. Options, options, and more options will make everybody happy.
For example, if there’s a Wal-Mart, there should be a farmer’s market where people can sell their own fruits and vegetables. If there is a Target, there should be a mercado style flea market.
It seems as if there is something, there should be the alternative for those who are not into the mainstream, one stop, shopping experience.
This is understandable. Downtown city life needs to have it’s own plan, Segundo Barrio can have another, but they can co-exist in harmony.
Will city council officials allow it to be that way though? They’ve neglected the area for so long, same goes for the Lower Valley, that these plans are being pushed as the only way to do things.
Jun 9th, 2007
gfj
The architecture of the buildings is the last reason for my opposition against the big box chains.
Big box chains marginalize the local business.
They are huge environmental wastes.
They are unfair against their employees.
Etc…
personally, i always try and keep it local.
You claim to champion the idea of making el paso’s downtown a more progressive modern one but putting in some cheap ass generic chain stores and restaurants will look like shit to me.
The local el paso business people need to step and invest in downtown.
Jun 11th, 2007
chesswithdeath
Big Box Stores are not local, but they will provide more jobs than any store currently in downtown. They will prove a big boost to the economy, they will have the money to renovate a historic building, and they will provide a certain level of quality products.
Local is dead. No point in denying it. Mom and Pop shops don’t exist; America is now a country of corporations. El Paso is particularly dependent on Wal-Marts and Sam’s club already, why not have them at least clean up a small portion of downtown? That’s the least they can do for all the traffic problems all the other stores cause.
Jun 21st, 2007
freespeech
Homegrown Downtown Development
http://www.newspapertree.com/culture/860-four-sketches-on-texas-avenue
http://www.newspapertree.com/politics/1108-a-painter-s-vision-of-downtown-el-paso
http://www.homegrownelpaso.com/
Jun 24th, 2007
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