Emtpy Stores?

Former Shell gas station at the corner of Maple Avenue and Glyndon.

Former Chevy Chase bank, now empty, next to new Chevy Chase bank

Carpet Store now empty next to Starbucks.

Why so many empty run down stores? Can you spell M-A-U-D? And Maud apologists please don't tell us she is not responsible. She can't be responsible for that infamous 2005 #4 ranking that she harped about for 3 years, but not be responsible for the implosion of commercial business in Vienna. A guarantee? Our business sector is so bad and so obvious no Money Magazine high rankings will be coming again any time soon.

Heritage Furniture, 419 Maple Ave. E. If Branch Rd. is included, we can add That's Amore and Hancock Fabric to the list. Meanwhile, Falls Church is adding new businesses (e.g., the big Roadrunner Sports store). Why was it that Maud wanted us to be different from Falls Church?

Hollywood Video in Magruders shopping center is empty.

Another way to track this, since not all empty buildings are obvious, would be "for lease" signs. Those are everywhere.

The BP Station at corner of Maple and Park. The fabric shop and That's Amore on Branch Road.

Vienna Bargains and all those antiques stores next to the Vienna Inn are closing/for rent.

Retail leasing agents would have statistics on vacancy rates in Vienna compared to other business districts. It's that comparison that would tell us how successful the town's leadership is in terms of strengthening (or weakening!) our downtown.

Does anyone know what the typical retail rents are along Maple Ave?

The store on Church Street that used to be the Brambled Nest is closing. And as stated there are still lots of "for lease" signs up.

During the last election it was brought up regarding talk about putting a parking garage where the Vienna Inn, and other stores are. If you notice those stores are leaving. Last year everyone thought those who were concerned about the tearing of Vienna Inn were nuts. Is this a coincidence or the writing on the wall? And with NO opposition this year there is no stopping this train!

What about all the empty office space..301 maple looks deserted, as does the Hope Center...I do know for a fact that the lease on Tequilla Grande is good for a couple more years so development on that corner might have to wait.

The emergency pet clinic is moving. Wonder what is going to happen there? Will it be part of the Flea Trap/Tequila Grande tear-down?

Also, doesn't the IAMS pet imaging place count as empty? Does anything happen there?

Posh will also soon be empty.

Does anyone know what the typical retail rents are along Maple Ave?

I had heard several years ago that they were as high as Chevy Chase. Each business is now saddled with the exorbitant price tag ( which keeps rising), rather than being able to share the costs with other businesses. This is why mixed use is the only thing that will help these businesses, and this area. But sadly most people have been sold a bill of goods against "mixed use", and until this code changes Vienna is going to look more like a Ghost Town than a prosperous inviting Town on the outskirts of our Nations Capital.

I heard firsthand when the Public Works Director, Holly Chu, said "I don't care if they bulldoze Maple Ave and close it off!" What can you expect when the manager in charge of improvements to the main corridor of the Town absolutely does not care and does not even like the town? Sadly, this article is not surprising.

The owner of the hair salon used by my wife originally wanted as a 1st choice to very much locate in Vienna, but decided that it was too costly and the Town was impossible to deal with so he located on Route 7 near the Sheraton Hotel.

Given the sorry state of the buildings and businesses, I'd guess the rents are very low. If they were high, there would be incentive to remodel, redevelop, and bring in better retailers.

See I disagree Anne. I still think that this rent is so high that to remodel the existing structures and have them the one story would be cost prohibitive. Now again if they could share the cost and raise the building a story or two it may help. Maple Ave looks like it is in a sad state, and it doesn't have to be.

One word to describe almost every aspect of Maple Avenue? Scummy. Take for example the covered bus stops. They all look run down and in disrepair. Look at much of the brick work on Maple Avenue - clearly substandard work to begin with followed by either poor or non-existent maintenance. This is all starts at the top. Vienna's vision and leadership sucks. And we pay people for it.

I agree! I used to work there. I would ask "where does all the money go?!? Why is everything so run down?" It's just disgraceful. Then, all of the congested traffic has to stop near the run down storefronts and broken sidewalks that don't even go to the run-down bus stops. They have plenty of opportunities for large funding grants, but the Public Works Director fights against all improvements.

Susan,
Zoning along Maple does allow for multiple stories, I think 3 levels, but I'm not sure. That's not the problem, since most retailers won't locate on upper floors anyway. A large part of the problem seems to be the inability of local government to work with business people. they're openly hostile to "those evil developers and businesses."

Madness,
It's not grants that Vienna needs, it's private investment. We've squandered millions of public dollars on brick sidewalks, the town green, and other fixes, but until you get businesses willing to invest in new retail, the place will end up looking---well, like it does.

Anne I totally agree with you on both posts.

If only town "leaders" understood that a downtown needs businesses to be a downtown. Instead, they go after state funds for their pet projects & chase potential investors away.

When Lowe's property on Maple Avenue was for sale the town wanted to purchase it for a park. Charlie Robinson said: Nobody will buy that place. Fortunately he was wrong and we have a viable business in town. The purchase of the property across the street was in defiance of the peoples wishes. Charlie, in the form of Maud, Mayor Seeman and Al Boudreau pulled off the secret deal.