Staff Editorial: Holes in the retail plan

On Thursday, Campus Market closed its doors for possibly the last time. After serving as the campus' nearest grocer and deli for almost four years, the Freshgrocer, which opened down the block from Campus Market last year, displaced it as many students' first choice.

Regardless of the impact that the loss of Campus Market will have on its loyal customers, it does highlight the unacceptably high number of retail vacancies on campus.

With Campus Market's closing, there are now three empty storefronts along the 40th Street corridor, in addition to vacancies at 37th and Walnut streets and on 34th Street. And with the impending departure of Steve and Barry's, retail vacancies are nearing epidemic proportions.

But more disturbing than the number of current vacancies is how long most have gone without a tenant. A vacancy on the 3700 block of Walnut Street has remained empty since the Eckerd drug store went out of business in April 2000. The former Friendly Express at 40th and Locust streets has been waiting for a new occupant since the University refused to renew the grocer's lease in October 2000. Neither 34th Street vacancy has been filled since Starbucks and University of Cards found new homes in the 3401 Walnut complex. And the location next to Philly Diner has been vacant since Eat at Joe's closed its doors in July 2000.

And none of the University's planned replacements has quite panned out. A proposed Mexican restaurant for the 40th and Locust location fizzled last March. A used bookstore planned for the former Eat at Joe's space has yet to materialize. And the University failed to lure once hoped-for retailers, including a video store.

While Penn officials can and should work to bring businesses that will complement its master retail plan, empty storefronts harm the area's image and hurt the University's attempts to attract new retailers.

With three vacancies that are over a year old, the University must ensure that these two newest empty spaces do not remain that way for as long. If Penn's current retail strategy leads to such recurring and protracted problems, perhaps it is time that that strategy be seriously rethought.

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