The Greene is located in Beavercreek, just east of Dayton. Its size is monumental – even though it is but the first phase of a two-phase project. With a one-time construction impact of over $350 million, the total complex will include 1.5 million square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment facilities (according to the website of developers Steiner & Associates), which in turn will purportedly generate 3,000 jobs and $23 million in local taxes.
Retail lifestyle centers still hold sway across the country as the development of choice for upscale retail. In Ohio, developments such as Crocker Park in Cleveland and Easton Town Center in Columbus (another Steiner project) have proven to be successful at attracting upper class and upper-middle class consumers, drawn to the collections of unique shops and attractions. At their core, of course, retail lifestyle centers are very similar to the downtowns of old – the locations are compact and easily-walkable, there are street vendors, trolleys, and other amenities that encourage social intercourse and, of course, they draw visitors with spendable cash.
This comparison is no accident. Take a look at the second floor windows at Easton Town Center, for instance – in many locations they have been bricked in, creating a false but deliberate suggestion of age. Consider this quote from The Greene’s new general manager, as quoted in the website referred to above:
“As we all anticipated, the people of Dayton have been coming in large numbers to experience the ‘Main Street’ atmosphere that The Greene offers," he said. "Their excitement to first see this project has grown to become an ongoing desire to return to a true place — one that provides a memorable experience to which one wants to revisit and relive."
The major difference between such "new downtowns" and traditional downtowns centers on unified promotion and services. At The Greene, which is owned by a single entity, retailers will likely find uniform store hours and promotion written into leases, and services such as snow removal are included in higher rent. Cities seeking to revitalize aging downtowns in the area, on the other hand, face the need to build consensus among dozens of property owners.
It bears stating, of course, that the manager could not be more wrong. The Greene is not a "true place" at all -- it is a made-up, make believe location. Its patina of age is exactly that, a facade designed to suggest something which it is not. And The Greene will thrive, in large part, because of the difficulties it will cause for "true places" named Fairborn, Piqua, Troy, Springfield, Washington Court House, Wilmington and, of course, Dayton --all of which have aging downtowns that desperately need re-investment. As such, it represents a particularly imprudent use of public funds that will actually serve to depress a region, not enhance it.
That said, there are lessons to learn from The Greene and its cousins, if communities want to retain their downtowns as centers of commerce. Consumers love shopping where there is a wide variety of goods, where store hours are uniform, where the walk from the car to the shop is full of things to entice the eye and ear, and where signage is clear and directions easy to follow.
Photo Credit: The Greene, Beavercreek-Dayton/twisesq/Creative Commons License