Wheaton, Kensington and the surrounding area
The Mom and Pop stores of Wheaton need Costco – Feb 3
One thing Wheaton is known for is for its Mom and Pop stores and its multi-cultural shops and restaurants. This is contrasted with the Westfield mall where you can find your local Target, Giant and Starbucks.
With the potential addition of a Costco in our neighborhood, people have complained that this could put the smaller shops out of business. Unfortunately, I think the economy is doing that all on its own – I took a walk the other day from the corner of Georgia and University up to Nick’s Diner on University and saw several “FOR LEASE” signs as place after place seems to have gone bust or never been anything of note to start with. All that was open was the relatively new Samantha’s Bakery, Nick’s, El Pollo Rico, the Cricket mobile shop and DeJabel, which is struggling, — and that was about it. Hollywood East is gone and looks like it will be replaced by a dentist, the dubious looking health foods place is gone….
So really, is Costco a disaster waiting to happen, or perhaps Wheaton’s best chance to revitalise in a stagnating economy? I am leaning towards the latter. Even in the mall itself, we have just lost Borders Express (RIP) and there are a few shops there which are boarded up. MoCo needs tax revenue and it wont come from empty buildings. In an ideal world, a Costco would bring a lot more people to Wheaton and places like Marchones, Moby Dick and the like would hopefully see those people.
Has anyone got any thoughts?
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about 7 months ago
I don’t think Costco is a disaster and I don’t think it is Wheaton’s best chance to revitalize it’s stagnant economy for a number of reasons
1) I don’t think the needs of a regional mall and that of the small immigrant owned businesses are tied together. Either one can rise or fall with or with out the other.
2) I think that Costco is the true definition of destination shopping. You travel to the store, load up, go home. I don’t believe that folks who patronize Costco will make it across the street to Marchones etc.
3) Costco and Westfield are very profitable companies> Montgomery County is one of the BEST retail markets in the country. I think this $4 million subsidy will help Costco and Westfield. Let them build this with their money.
4) If this is to create jobs, this will create low paying jobs for folks who cannot even afford to live here.
Now I don’t want to sound all negative. Here is an idea about what to with the $4million.
Let’s use the money to lure a large company to the Downtown Wheaton area. ( Just like we did with Discovery in Silver Spring)
-we have space. There is the Equitable Bank Building on Blueridge and Georgia, the empty Orsman Chevy building on Reedie and Georgia. The lots that the county is now bidding out to developers.
-Build the Hi Rise Housing, Multi Use project on the Safeway Lot.and incorporate housing into the counties development.
Both of these ideas will be able to utilize the existing public transit that already exists, encourage people to live near where they work and put people in the Central Business District to patronize the local business community.
This will help out the area and is a better use of our counties resources.
Chip Py.
PS I believe that Costco will build at the mall weather or not they get the $4million.
about 7 months ago
I tend to agree Chip – I am sure Costco would look at Wheaton as an opportunity and it should do well drawing moneys from the inhabitants of MoCo.
Costco is probably more a focused bulk shopping trip rather than something that will lure in casual foot-traffic (you have to get a membership even!) but there will be those who’ll overflow into the community and hopefully the community can figure out how to draw them in. Wheaton itself needs to market its opportunities/nicer stores to the outside world if a Costco goes ahead.
We do have plenty of space – more than we need and i think if we can get a big company in it can only help. I am surprised with the metro so conveniently located and real estate so hard to get near other metro stations that we havent been more successful before now.
I see we have lost the library opportunity as its staying put between Wheaton and Glenmont. Ironically someone in the Gazette said its for the best as we dont want to create Rockville’s all over the county. I disagree, I’d love Wheaton to become a Rockville…which incorporates the Moby Dicks and Nicks rather than replaces them.
about 7 months ago
Has a decision been made on the library? I hadn’t heard it was a done deal that it was staying put (though the move always seemed doomed by the NIMBYism—or in this case YIMBYism, as in it serves me best where it is so who cares about the larger community.)
As to Costco, I have to agree with both of you. While I hate to see subsidies go to huge corporations, I also hate to see county money get dumped on Bethesda while we hear council members preach principles and poverty when it comes to spending a relative pittance in Wheaton. I don’t like the idea of the subsidy, but there is a perverted logic to it as I think the county would see $4M back in taxes and jobs in relatively short order.
There was a letter to the editor in the Business Gazette today urging the Costco to be built in Glenmont:
http://www.gazette.net/stories/02032010/montlet174924_32553.php
But the NIMBYs killed the JBG project that would have been great in Glenmont by changing the rules as they went on traffic studies, so how ironic would it be if Costco brought all those extra cars to Randolph and Georgia Ave?
http://www.gazette.net/stories/053008/busimlo200007_32363.shtml
about 7 months ago
When I travel to the Beltsville Costco I also shop other sites along Route 1 there. I suspect that I’m not alone.
about 7 months ago
I agree with Chip that a large employer should be lured to Wheaton. The small businesses need weekday foot traffic. Also, I think the small businesses need to band together and promote themselves collectively.
I too am disappointed in the decision to keep library in current place–it only encourages more traffic in Wheaton, which discourages the type of people who would frequent the small businesses. Is that decision final?
about 7 months ago
I agree with the posting. Cosco does tend to be a destination shop, but just getting more people to the neighborhood will be an opportunity to publicize all the other businesses. I know I try to group outings together and when I go to Beltsville Cosco I often eat or shop on the way to or from. Also, Cosco is not a low wage employer. My understanding is that the average salary at Cosco is $17+ an hour. Employees are unionized and qualify for benefits if they work 20+ hours. The county needs a range of employment options, not just jobs for college grads/phds. I think $4million is a small price for the county to invest for the benefits that Cosco will bring in terms of jobs and people to Wheaton. I don’t see it as an either or – the county should also look to lure a major employer here a la Discovery, and should be investing in a range of business develop throughout the county. I realize it’s tight budget times but these are the type of investments that more than pay off in the long run. Given the baffling (in my opinion) decision about the library, if the county balks at the Cosco investment it will make me wonder how serious they are about developing Wheaton.
about 7 months ago
Coscto is not unionized. It is however, known for treating it workers well and paying above the Non Union standard wage
http://www.seattlepi.com/business/166680_costco29.html
Chip Py
Wheaton, MD
about 7 months ago
Hey Sheila
It seems that decision is final according to the week’s Gazette. They are even talking about renovating the existing location rather than moving it to Wheaton central.
Chip, sounds like Costco trumps Walmart at least – I think i’d have a serious problem with Walmart coming in as opposed to Costco.
about 7 months ago
I agree with Sheila,
Costco is a much better employer than Walmart. I would have a problem with any subsidy of a Walmart.
about 6 months ago
Hollywood East Cafe is relocating to Westfield Plaza it should be opening sometime this month.
COSTCO is not union, but it does pay decent wages and it does provide benefits.
COSTCO is not going to hurt Marchones-
why would I but an Italian sub at COSTCO-do they even sell subs??
Do they sell bacala?
Do they sell real Italian cold cuts?
I do not think so.
I won’t shop COSTCO because I live in a one bedroom condo and do not have room for bulk items.
Although if I do want a decent hot dog and a slice of some decent pizza I might go to COSTCO for lunch.
about 6 months ago
Bob,
You’d be amazed how many people who live in small apartments still find that they can make a Costco membership pay! If you have an average size freezer compartment in your frige, repackaging meats and breads into smaller portions works well. Single “giant-sized” items like laundry detergent, printer paper, packs of bar soap, blank DVDs, etc, have the same shelf “footprint” as the much more expensive smaller sizes of the same items. Then, of course there is the “Costco-with-a-friend” approach, where you share the card and split the 2-packs of many items into more convenient singles, etc. Light bulbs and batteries make great shared savings. Costcos that are near easy public transit are places where you will see lots of singles, with their little apartment folding grocery carts heading out the door with savings. No, I don’t work for Costco, but just want to point out that the comments about singles and public transit users not being able to make good use of Costco are missing a whole market segment that does, indeed, use the stores when they are placed for convenience to apartments and bus/rail lines that serve apartments. And, the same small, modest income famililies that walk to haul clothes from nearby apartments to the new laundomat in Wheaton will find ways to tote home bulk diapers, cereal and milk from a Wheaton Costco.
about 6 months ago
Hello All,
hope you’ve been able to dig out.
I noted an important omission in this line of discussion — COSTCO doesn’t just want to put in a store but also a gas station. It would be a high volume operation, bringing in hundreds of car a day, and decreasing air quality. Perhaps O.K. in an isolated area but this gas station would be close, in some instances just a few hundred feet, to many homes and a community pool.
COSTCO to date has presented the gas station as take it or leave it (remember I’ll take my ball home if you don’t do what I want when you were a kid?) I believe the gas station is going to generate great opposition from the nearby community. It would also require rezoning.
However I do envision a possible middle ground. COSTCO could drop the gas station and thus maybe get more community support and avoid a polarizing zoning battle.
Maybe some creativity on their part could get their deal through but an entrenched position on their part will likely generate enough community opposition to kill the deal.
I do remember the Silver Spring had to start and stop several times to get their redevelopment right. So if COSTCO takes their ball home we can look for a new teammate.
After all they want $4 million of our money so they should be willing to accomodate community concerns.
about 5 months ago
after the snow there were so many pot holes along the street it will help to minimize the use of snow salt that melts cement and snow altogether
about 5 months ago
Is this for real? Costco in our neighborhood. I would be thrilled to have them this close. Travelling to Gaithersburg is no fun and I’m not a fan of the Beltsvill store. I’m wondering where customers are going to park though? Is this really going to happen or are they ust talking about it?