Many UCLA students think of Third Street Promenade in Santa
Monica as a great place to spend a few hours during the weekend.
They can catch a movie, eat out and do a little shopping in one of
the many name-brand stores dotting the area.
That might all change.
The Santa Monica City Council is trying to find a way to present
Third Street as a more singular destination, instead of its being a
“glorified mall,” as some council members and
independent store owners call it.
Many of them believe the abundance of corporate retail stores in
the area takes away from the unique cultural feel of Third
Street.
“A staff report from council members studying the issue
concurred that the Promenade was turning into an outdoor mall and
it was losing its unique character,” said Andy Agel,
assistant director for the Santa Monica Office of Planning and
Community Development.
Many independent store owners in the area are complaining that
they are losing customers, since Third Street now consists mostly
of chain stores that shoppers could find elsewhere in the city.
“We want to be in a location that is different than
anywhere else,” said Theo Hendrani, manager for Shiva Imports
on Third Street, an independent store that specializes in Indian
and Indonesian imports, and New Age gifts.
“Why should customers come some place where they are
surrounded by the same stores?” Hendrani asked.
Competition is another reason why many independent store owners
want a less-corporate Third Street.
Most chain retail stores on the promenade are not geared towards
making a profit, said Tim Hubener, manager of Vintage Animation.
Rather, they are used as representations of the brand, promoting it
to the many visitors checking the store. Those visitors can then go
and buy the products at a different location.
Independent stores, however, have to make a profit if they want
to remain in business, and so for them it is crucial to make a
sale.
In an attempt to study the situation further, the Santa Monica
City Council on Sept. 9 assigned a committee to assess the
situation and see if the spread of chain stores on Third Street was
hurting the area.
Following up on the issue, the city council voted on Nov. 11 to
determine whether there should be a moratorium placed on the
creation of any new corporate stores on Third Street.
The committee assigned to study the matter reported that
completely banning chain stores on Third Street would not offer an
adequate resolution and the moratorium did not pass.
“We need an appropriate mix of different types of
businesses. It has never been about eliminating chain
stores,” Agel said.
But city council members did agree to pass the matter over to a
non-profit organization, the Bayside District Corporation. The BDC
is a management company charged with the responsibility of
overseeing, marketing and managing the downtown Santa Monica
area.
The BDC has nine months to come up with possible ways to
increase appeal of Third Street, after which their recommendations
would be passed to the city council.
The city council would then further review the matter and
present the final solution.
Kathleen Rawson, executive director for the BDC, said an
ordinance prohibiting chain stores on Third Street may still be
possible.
“Nothing is off the table. We will look at every opinion
that is presented, since it is a very complex and difficult
problem,” Rawson said.
She added that for now the BDC still has no idea what the final
suggestion would look like, since the board of executives will
begin studying the issue in December.
For now, many independent store owners on Third Street are
excited at the prospect of a more unique environment for their
businesses.
“I welcome the idea of fewer corporations. Two Starbucks
within 15 feet of each other is definitely not something Third
Street needs,” Hubener said.
He added that many of his customers would also welcome the idea
of more independent stores.
“People are thinking that what used to make the promenade
special is going away,” Hubener said.