Scott Rogers posted news of a new commercial business potentially coming to Harrisonburg this year. We have several empty big boxes in town that need this kind of development or a rethinking of their use all together. This business will bring jobs to the area, provide a destination for some, and bring life back to a part of the mall that has been empty.
So is this good for our local economy? Do we need both chain stores and local companies to survive and grow our economy? Does this add value to our community? As someone who works hard to promote local business and also someone who works for commercial developers, I wonder what the right balance is for our community. We have done many shopping malls in the past and hope to get some in the near future. I want to see national companies find success and I want to see local companies thrive. Help me understand the bigger picture, what do you want to see in Harrisonburg? What will make this community better for you?
Carbon Neutral building we proposed for Harrisonburg
shopping center we designed in Charlottesville
mixed use building we proposed for Crozet
Fluvanna Shopping Center we designed
Do we need both chain stores and local companies to survive and grow our economy?
>> Yes, I think we do need both. Larger chain stores serve as anchors that make this a regional shopping destination, and I believe this brings lots of residual shoppers to smaller local companies.
As someone who works hard to promote local business and also someone who works for commercial developers, I wonder what the right balance is for our community.
>> I think you are right — there is a need for a balance between large chains, and local companies. I don’t think we’re currently imbalanced in Harrisonburg, but I would be interested to hear how others view it.
Scott,
With all the activity and growth downtown (including two small chain stores) there is certainly a positive feel to the mix. We have such great local businesses that I don’t think a large chain hurts us either, but hope I will get feedback from others in the community on the subject.
Growth in general may be ok, but too much growth too fast puts a strain on lots of services – schools, roads, etc. Do we really need a lot more diversity and convenience when it comes to shopping? If that’s important, you might as well move to a larger urban area. I like our rural area and I would rather keep it that way. As long as we can keep those who live here employed, I think we should go very slow on growth.
Smart Growth that is well planned is very important.