Staff Editorial: Fill the empty windows

On Penn's campus, 2002 was the year of retail vacancy. While students and faculty awaited new tenants for the empty spaces at 40th and Locust streets and at the base of the old Mellon Bank building on 36th and Walnut streets, they watched helplessly as several significant campus businesses closed their doors and left empty windows in their stead. In March, Walnut Street vendor Campus Market closed its doors after losing business to the Freshgrocer. Two months later, despite its unbeatable prices and six-for-one deals, campus staple Steve and Barry's shut down. This past fall, Papaya King ended its short run on 40th Street, and the owner of Baskin Robbins shut down the Walnut Street ice cream spot for personal reasons. As students return in a new year hoping for increased vending and dining options, they find that Steve Madden has shut down as well. It seems the University Square business couldn't draw enough customer support even after the area's recent name change. And while the campus benefitted last year from the addition of a new used bookstore, a yoga center and the long-awaited movie theater, Penn administrators cannot be happy with the increased number of vacancies flanking Locust Walk. Clearly, the University is not wholly responsible for the departure of these vendors, and some of the delays in filling these spots can be attributed to the transition following the departure of John Fry. But Cliff Stanley has now had more than two months to settle into his new post at the top of Penn's business operations. And if his tenure is to be as successful as Fry's was, he must make retail a priority. This is an opportunity for Penn to start anew in its quest for student- and community-friendly retailers bordering the campus on all sides. With the acquisition of the postal lands on hold for the near future, expansion has been placed on the back burner. In the meantime, the University must focus on filling the empty windows that line Spruce and Walnut streets. The retail problems of 2002 are history. Here's hoping that 2003 brings more openings than closings on Penn's retail front.

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