SURVEY: City officials, businesses monitor downtown retail mix

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Norm Gollub would like it if there were another flower shop in downtown Sarasota, though he admits he can’t control whether one will ever open there.

Gollub, the city’s downtown economic development coordinator, took note when Victoria Blooms closed its Main Street location late last year. He has a detailed breakdown of all the commercial businesses in the heart of the city, and with just one other specialty flower shop in the area, he sensed a potential void.

That’s not the only insight Gollub has gained from his tally. He took note of the high number of beauty and health shops and has discussed the potential need for a pharmacy and convenience store, like a CVS.

In total, Gollub has developed 20 categories for businesses in the downtown area. The retail mix has been a topic of discussion for several years. In 2013, the Downtown Improvement District aired concerns about the number of restaurants in the area, and consultant Robert Gibbs examined the optimal retail mix for the downtown core in 2014. Gibbs said there was still room for growth in both restaurants and the range of retail stores.

Although Gollub keeps track of which types of businesses are booming and lacking, there’s not much he can do to place certain stores in certain locations. He shares his data with property managers and real estate brokers, but he only has so much sway over the actual outcome.

“We don’t regulate that,” Gollub said. “I try to work with a property owner to encourage them to seek a particular type of business, but generally the brokerage community doesn’t have the luxury of time to find that right occupant.”

There is an exception to the fill-it-as-quickly-as-possible rule, Gollub said: owners who have a series of adjacent spaces. Those people are going to give careful consideration to each tenant, because they don’t want to lease space to competing businesses.

Butch Isaac, owner of the Pineapple Square properties along Lemon Avenue and Main Street, says his search for retailers is different from anyone else in the city. He targets “bridge retailers” — businesses that are of a higher quality than what you would find at a mall, but less expensive than a luxury store such as Gucci.

Even within those confines, a solid mix is a priority. The differences can be nuanced. Two women’s clothing stores can target different demographics, be it a matter of age or price or any other factor. The goal is appealing to a broad group of consumers.

“That’s what I’m looking for, variety,” Isaac said. “I want to serve as many different types of buyers that I can in the stores that relocate there.”

Isaac is comfortable picking the right stores for his properties, but when it comes to downtown as a whole, he’s happy the city isn’t guiding tenants more forcefully.

“You cannot legislate the free market, and you should not,” Isaac said. “That’s the worst thing that could happen to the city.”

Gollub is hopeful that an uptick in year-round downtown residents will lead to an even greater mix of businesses, but he’s careful to avoid some unintended negative side effects of growth.

“I’m very cognizant that I’m not spending my efforts to bring in an entity that would provide the needs that are already met by seven or eight other businesses, therefore wiping them out,” Gollub said. “It’s important that, in my recruitment efforts, that I reach out to businesses that would be a better match for our unique mix of shops.”