Hurry in as the final hours of a historic Bethesda institution wind down. Sure, Bruce Variety may reopen elsewhere, but it's hard to think of a location as convenient or accessible as the Bradley Shopping Center. The owners and positive feelings of the community will surely transfer to the new store, but it just won't be the same. It's unlikely to have the floor space or storage area of today's location, and - let's face it - when you go to the same store your whole life, it's not easy to make the change.
Life goes on, and Bethesda and Bruce Variety will manage to survive. But thanks to the Montgomery County Council's new zoning code causing old businesses to be forced out of shopping centers developers would like to tear down, we'll always wonder if this outcome was ever necessary to begin with.
Who said any developer wants to tear down this shopping center? The landlord wants more rent.
ReplyDeleteIt's a standard practice, when a property owner wants to redevelop or sell to a developer, to raise rents and shorten lease terms. That forces out current tenants - usually independent, mom-and-pop shops - who can't possibly afford the rents. From what was written in the Gazette, it sounds like several other tenants are near the breaking point rentwise. Clear out tenants, and then make "surprise" announcement that shopping center is being redeveloped as a mixed-use development. This is happening all over the county. Notice the massive rent increase in 10 years for Bruce Variety. What changed? The new 2012 zoning that now allows higher density, mixed-use zoning on that site. Previously, it was zoned commercial, so there was no profit incentive to boot popular tenants.
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