On September, 24, 2015, the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association teamed up with Streetsense and DC’s Office of Planning (OP) to host “Vibrant Retail Streets – Fort Totten.” This is the final post in this three-part series on the presentation, available here: Fort Totten – Application of DC Vibrant Retail Streets (pdf). The first part discussed the market analysis conducted by Streetsense. The second part discussed ways to impact retail attraction. This post concludes with how to proceed.

Conclusion: Start at step one – Managed

A large amount of retail will be coming online in the next three to five years. The neighborhood will change, maybe not on the scale of say Columbia Heights, but enough to have a noticeable effect on residents. Between the trepidation and enthusiasm many feel as the buildings start to go up and retailers are announced, there is a need to have realistic expectations of what our vibrant streets may look like. Recall that Streetsense and OP identified several characteristics that vibrant streets share:

(1) Managed by a civic/nonprofit or merchant association;

(2) Retail-appropriate spaces like transparent storefronts and wide sidewalks;

(3) Mix of tenants;

(4) Safe as perceived by shoppers and pedestrians;

(5) Championed by private and/or public sectors;

(6) Anchored by a cultural feature that attracts people for a non-commercial use;

(7) Walkable as part of a walkable community; and

(8) Unified by a common character.

The ultimate takeaway from the presentation is that retailers will be most successful if there is an organizational framework in place that can manage the retail process, so starting with step one of the toolkit is the best place to start. According to Streetsense, the purpose of having a retail-specific organization is not to champion the vibrant street, but to have a structure in place to allow residents, retailers, elected and public sector officials, and other stakeholders to all have a seat at the proverbial table. For example, the organization could have an on-boarding process for retailers new to the neighborhood. If residents noticed a problem with trash, then they could take it to the retail organization to have it addressed because the retailer would be part of the organization and would understand its responsibility.

Streetsense and OP brainstormed a few ways in which this organization could take shape. It could be through the civic association, either a committee or sub-committee, through a separate business association, or once fully organized, a Main Streets group. We do not have all the answers right now. We do know, however, that the group should be inclusive, open to residents of the various neighborhoods bordering these projects.

If you have thoughts about any aspect of the presentation, whether market analysis, retail attraction, or how to manage the process, let us know in the comments.