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L MAKING AT ICSC'S REC r i II VEGAS.
<br />under construction in two towns with a
<br />population of about 7,000 people each:
<br />a Walmart Supercenter in Sweeny ester,
<br />Tenn., and a Tractor Supply Company
<br />store in Philadelphia, Miss. Rural areas
<br />have been hit particularly hard by store
<br />closures and by online retail, she says,
<br />and they need brick - and - mortar retail
<br />to help recover lost tax revenue and to
<br />provide basic services.
<br />The Philadelphia (Pa.) Retail Market-
<br />ing Alliance works with local commerce
<br />and tourism groups to woo new tenants.
<br />The Center City District, Philadelphia's
<br />oldest business improvement district,
<br />can lure prospects by dangling the spend-
<br />ing power of some 179,000 people who
<br />live in or near that downtown Center
<br />City section. Aside from 'CSC events,
<br />38 SCT! APR' I. 2013
<br />the Center City Disrricr uses prc- tours,
<br />trade ads and its newly enhancca weir
<br />sire to deliver a detailed demographics
<br />and retail - friendly message, Heasley says.
<br />One of the alliance's recurring tasks is to
<br />dispel the image that the city is outdated.
<br />"We're more than a cheesestcak -anc0
<br />pretzel town," said Michelle Shannon,
<br />marketing vice president for the district.
<br />Among Philadelphia's downtown re-
<br />cruits last year were Intermix, Loft, Mar-
<br />shads. a three -level Ulra flagship and
<br />50010 eateries, plus mixed -use develop-
<br />ments like TheCinrnary, with its 20,000
<br />square feet of retail and 227 apartments.
<br />Several downtown office buildings are
<br />creating rens of thousands of square feet
<br />of additional retail space soon to go on
<br />the market. Sales tax is a prime revenue
<br />sour! c, of course, but apparel sales in
<br />Pennsylvania are not taxed. which leaves
<br />a fiscal gap that has to be mitigated by
<br />other sorts of tenants, by tourism an.d
<br />by retail rents that spur higher property
<br />valuations, says Shannon. "On Wal-
<br />nut Street, where the majority of our
<br />national retailers are, rents are goi ri-
<br />rh ugh the roof, which means more -
<br />valuable properties and higher reve-
<br />nue," Shannon said. The more diverse
<br />the downtown mix, the easier it is to sell
<br />employers on relocating there. 'Those
<br />companies want the sizzle," she said.
<br />Successful retail recruitment spurs
<br />other community Improvements, accord-
<br />ing to Keith Sellars, CEO of the Washir
<br />ton, DC Economic Partnership. "With
<br />the job marker bit so heavily, cities are
<br />also looking ro retail as a source of job
<br />creation," Sellars said. "Retail positions
<br />are great entry-level jobs for citizens v I o
<br />may nor have acquired other skill .y rs
<br />yet." The partnership is credited with
<br />creating 8,000 jobs and some 3 million
<br />square feet of new retail, mixed -use and
<br />orrice occupancy, generating some $54
<br />million per year in tax revenue Roughly
<br />two dozen supermarkets have opened
<br />in the District of Columbia, most of
<br />them filling food deserts in poorer nrr +_
<br />Like the Philadelphia Alliance, the
<br />DC Partnership has become an annual
<br />fixture at RECon and is looking this y:•ar
<br />to build on the momentum of February's
<br />I(3CMid- Adantic Idea Exchange, where
<br />its representatives juggled 45 meetir
<br />Competition for retail has grown acute,
<br />Sellars says. Recruiters "have definitely
<br />i upped their game, so we really need to
<br />be prepared when we meet brokers and
<br />developers to give them value for their
<br />time," he said. The DC Partnership has
<br />always sought national tenants, but now
<br />it pursues unique mom- and -pop retail-
<br />ers and local restaurants too, to help it
<br />distinguish itself from compering cit-
<br />ies, according to Sellars. Over the past
<br />few years, the District of Columbia has
<br />brought in such nationals as Target and
<br />
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