8 responses to “Primrose and Progress?”

1. Anonymous

   October 27, 2007

   Combining more storefronts is not progress; it is simply making more space for chain stores which require larger footprints.

   This is where it would be useful to have a system like Mill Valley’s where a trigger for conditional use is set at a certain sq. footage, so that the community has the opportunity to voice their opinions on what kind of stores they’d support in their downtowns.

   I think this is a sad development. The Gallery has been in business since the 50’s, I believe–one of the few places where original artwork could be found.

2. Peter Garrison

   October 27, 2007

   I agree with you, Fiona- I also hope for “respect” to be shown to that side of Primrose.

   The other side is “dead,” due to the blanked out wall on Baby Gap and the dark, menacing “death star,” presence of the bank building.

   It literally halts pedestrian progress down that side of the street. People turn the corner and feel a curse coming on…

   Pete Garrison

3. fred

   October 28, 2007

   Require larger footprints? Because they attract more customers? And more customers spend more money in town? Which means more money to use towards infrastructure? A growing downtown?

   Gee, simply awful…somebody stop them now…

   Sorry to see the gallery go, but there are other art galleries in Burlingame. Like Quent Cordair Fine Art. Dbid you forget about him already?

4. Anonymous

   October 28, 2007

   If it can happen to the Gallery, it can also happen to Quent’s place, depending on who owns the building. Why are you picking and choosing? Isn’t one as important as the other? Are we supposed to be content to say well, we still have one or two other places? That’s a strange argument? They were doing well, they supported local artists–they had a connection to the town.

   For every corporate store that moves into town, we lose the spaces for two or three smaller stores, and we may lose offices above, too, if there was a second story involved.

   I’m not sure about your shopping needs, Fred, but for me, MORE (and varied) downtown businesses, not fewer, equals a more interesting and successful shopping district.

5. fred

   October 28, 2007

   Larger anchor stores are what attracts customers and that is to the benefit of both larger and smaller stores. There is a need to expand Burlingame Avenue farther into Howard and Chapin and the way to do that is through Primrose, Lorton and the other side streets.

   You can’t control the rental market, the market conditions take care of that, just like housing prices. Businesses survive through profits under whatever the market conditions may be, plain and simple. What is good for Burlingame is to allow market conditions to improve the area through natural growth. Screw with growth and change and the economic choo-choo falls right off the tracks.

6. Joanne

   November 1, 2007

   Does anyone know why Bombay is going out of business or is it just that particular store?

7. Joanne

   November 1, 2007

   Don’t know…but I’m curious to know who is going to occupy The Gallery and All that Glitters space on Primrose. I hope those stores can still stay in Burlingame. That is one of our most beautiful commercial buildings — I hope the new tenants/landlord don’t change the facade.

8. Anonymous

   November 1, 2007

   The home furnishings stores of The Bombay Co. Inc., including two in Greater Cincinnati, are going out of business across the country.

   Bombay, which filed for bankruptcy in September, said today that a joint venture of Gordon Bros. Retail Partners and Hilco Merchant Resources submitted the winning bid for the retailer’s U.S. inventory. The winning bidders plan to shut down Bombay’s U.S. stores and keep its Canadian stores open, the Fort Worth, Texas-based company said.

   Click here for Source to the above