Redevelopment Strategies: "Niching"
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/592222611_LpPBu-O.jpg)
Niching (pronounced "Nee Shing") is a powerful form of Clustering that is employed both intentionally as well as accidentally whenever one thinks of a "District".
Using the Niching Strategy creates a Community of Interests, or an area which draws people to it because of a common interest that unites the end users of that community.
It is also one of the least expensive and least risky strategies that can be employed to redevelop an abandoned or blighted area.
What is Niching, how does it work?
Lets explore these issues.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-jul-redevelopment-strategies-niching
What else is happening at 6th and Main?
To move forward, I've always felt that you can learn from the past. Let's not forget about some of our niching districts of the past.
Railroad Row - a collection of businesses on Bay, catering to the old terminal passengers.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/458685262_QcDna-M.jpg)
Ashley Street - Also called the Harlem of the South. This was the African-American commercial district mentioned.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/496493943_3VFtW-M.jpg)
Florida Avenue - Another African-American commercial, entertainment and cultural strip.
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-1008-dcp_9862.JPG)
The Great White Way - Forsyth was once, Jacksonville's Theater District.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/458685322_YqjLA-M.jpg)
Hemming Park - Anchored by large department stores, it was the epicenter of downtown's retail district.
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-4743-hemming-2.jpg)
The Wharves - The Northbank's place for international commerce and businesses catering to the blue collar workers of the area.
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-4837-baystreet-wharf.jpg)
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-4833-merrill-stevens-bay_street.jpg)
Quote from: stephendare on July 22, 2009, 10:03:03 AM
The Landing, while it is a niched clustering development has not worked. any clues as to why?
It hides the best activites and offerings it brings to the table, from the rest of downtown. How would East Bay be at night, if you could walk down that street and never know there were bars behind the walls of those old brick buildings?
^Bingo. Regarding the Landing, I do believe, that if the courtyard were opened up to Laura and the interior spaces were reversed to face Independent, the ingrediants for a retail/dining district would be in place.
The river, Landing courtyard and existing restaurants would become an anchor. With visible activity taking place along Independent, it would be feasible that additional complimenting retail uses would come to the bottom floors of the MODIS and Suntrust Towers, due to the additional foot traffic.
If those buildings become retail destinations in their own right, foot traffic expands from the Landing's courtyard, to Laura & Bay. With one well placed infill project, East Bay and the Landing would then be connected with a continuous strip of activity.
Landing Courtyard/reversed retail openings + Laura Street Streetscape + Bay/Forsyth/Adams + East Bay = no bridge ramps.
Wonder how much work it would take to redo the river front of the landing in "The Wharves" style? Meanwhile the Bay Street Station concept seems a take off on the historical Bay Street retail district.
SIDEBAR STORY: I had a railroad nut friend that went shopping all the old "Junk stores" across from the depot back about 1985. The depot at that time was a flea market (I think) and the stores were all second hand or pawn shops. He was walking along the sidewalk and in one of the windows was a miniature train. This was a smaller train like you would see carrying passengers around an amusement park, in other words, one could RIDE on it. He went in and paid the incredible price of $60 or $100 bucks! For that amount he got a train set worth perhaps $5,000 dollars at the time and maybe $25,000 today. Proof, you never knew what kind of treasures would turn up on West Bay St.
OCKLAWAHA
It will be impossible to create a "niching" in Jacksonville's downtown with the city mentality of tearing down any and all old buildings, unless Jacksonville’s "niching" strategy is of vacant lots in homage to the parking of one's vehicle on an old building foundation.
Yes, its difficult to niche when half of the building stock no longer remains. Another reason why preservation should be more of a priority in this city.
(http://www.txgenes.com/TxBowie/pics/Pics2/TexarkanaBellsTouristCourt1932.jpg)
Lake, the first time I ever saw this done with intent was in the Los Angeles-Long Beach metroplex. Somewhere in East Long Beach a guy bought out a really big old tourist court motel. The tourist courts of the 1920's/30's were usually little cottages with a carport in between each building. Inside each cottage was the more or less standard motel design, a greatroom and a bathroom. In those days the motel's tended to build the bathrooms in a back corner, rather then the front. In this tourist court the buildings were duplex style, everything else is exactly as I have described. The guy bought it, and knocked out the center wall of each duplex, making a REALLY large great room, with a 2 bathrooms. He removed the tubs/showers and made the bathrooms handicap accessable. He then went into marketing his 10+ building tourist court to every conceivable hobby shop he could find. He had a building for Rock Collectors, Stamp and Coin Collectors, Model Trains, Model RC Planes, Model Kits, Tools, Ships, Bikes, Music, Golf, Stereos, Autos, etc... I'm telling you the most cool place I ever visited. The best part was all of the stores fed eachother. The guy visiting the train shop (me) might need a certain tool that store didn't carry, no problem just bop into the tool store. The car guys were in the radio stereo store, the bike guys in the fishing shop, the RC buffs visiting the ship and Collectors store. Every shop was independently owned and operated and the concept was more fun then a Black Oak Arkansas Concert at the Ladies Knitting Circle.
(http://www.66postcards.com/images/moo388.jpg)
I wish the downtown library mall would look at this concept, it would be the busiest mall in town. Hey if it missed downtown, wouldn't this make a great rebuild for the old "JOE MOTEL" on Philips Highway?
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3178/2538991867_532dfd9892.jpg)
OCKLAWAHA
unfortunately most "niching" has been replaced by "town center" live, work and play concepts by the developer and always gets built out at once and tends to turn out looking very contrived and fabricated.
Don't forget City Kidz and soon to open Uptown Market at 3rd and Main. More food venues means people will stay in the neighborhood longer.
Town center works if it fills a need instead of trying to create a need. For example, Edgewood center was a brownfield development in Atlanta. It was a abandoned car dealer, old U-haul facility, and the Atlanta Gas light offices and maintenance yard. They took everything down except the old shoe factory (one of the Gas Light offices). The shoe factory was turned into lofts. The land was turned into a "lifestyle center" with a street of small shops with residential on 2 and 3. The big box Target, Kroger, Lowes, Best Buy were flanked by smaller stores and hidden from the main road. The outparcels were sold to multi family developments. The key was the area needed the shopping anyway. Three of the four neighborhoods around it were resurgent neighborhoods. Edgewood had it's own problems, but there were a resurgence of people moving in from the burbs to be inside I-285 and closer to work in the down town areas of Atlanta. Little five points is nearby and already had a couple of loft apartment buildings.
We really don't have any situations quite like that in Jacksonville.
What about Brooklyn? Surrounded by Downtown, the river, Five Points and Riverside. The west end will soon be the main entrance into downtown from I-10.
Nobody lives east or north of Brooklyn. Five points and Riverside are basically the same thing to the south. The west across I-95 is a neighborhood that hasn't yet decided which way it wants to go.
The Edgewood situation was more centralized to residential areas. There was a better mix of $$$ ,and $$ areas.
I agree that the Jacksonville Farmers Market is a good example. I often feel like I am in the midst of a main street or center square in a town full of produce! Not made clear is that there are farmers, wholesalers, and retailers who trade amongst each other to complete the interconnectivity of those present. So, not only do competing vendors share customers, they share suppliers. It's the classic 1 + 1 = 3.
New York has other clusters such as Broadway for theater, the Diamond district for jewelery, Fifth Avenue for upscale shopping, Madison Avenue for advertising, Avenue of the Americas for corporate offices, etc. Washington DC has an unusual cluster, Embassy Row.
Whole cities have been large scale industry clusters such as Hartford for insurance, Detroit for autos, Akron for rubber, Milwaukee for beer, Hollywood for film studios, Orlando for theme parks, Las Vegas for casinos, Houston for oil companies, Paris for fashion and art, Atlanta for logistics, Norfolk for the Navy, Silicon Valley for computer technology, Research Triangle for drug companies, High Point, NC, for furniture, country music in Nashville, capitols for government, etc.
Another example, though perhaps a little less obvious, is the clustering of car dealers. Most dealers in town are clustered around the Avenues, Orange Park, Atlantic Blvd, and Cassatt. And, even where a few stray, they have a mini cluster such as Key Buick, Nolan Cadillac, and North Florida Lincoln Mercury on Southside Blvd.
Many times you will see clustering of services for boaters around marinas such as Lakeshore Blvd.
It the old days, gas stations would cluster, with one each on all four corners of an intersection. Restaurants in a mall food court would be another example. Apartment complexes often pop up in proximity to each other as well.
Well... its apparent this concept is practiced with success frequently. Maybe, zoning laws should be designed to encourage it more.
In order for the Landing to become more vibrant it has got to be opened up to the street! I really wish Tony would try and do this even if the City will not sell him the land underneath.
Well let's see; the niche downtown, that is, to draw people downtown could be many, such as:
1) Weekly (weekend?) classic car show
2) Weekly or weekend Farmer's Market (already have this)
3) Weekly or weekend open air national entertainment act and/or festival
4) Weekly or weekend job fair (convention center?)
5) Weekly or weekend arts/culture festival/fair (already have?)
6) Weekly or weekend outside antique shows
7) Weekly or weekend regular or upscale flea markets
And there's many more "niches" you could add to this for downtown; but just think of the other niches that could be employed for almost each area or neighborhood of Jacksonville to keep our residents and tourists busy if our City Leaders would just get to work, earn thier pay, and ignite these niches for the respective areas; it's not hard to do, however, in these tough economic times money would be a huge problem, that is, finding the funds to support such niches once they are employed and underway.
Heights Unknown
Quote from: stjr on July 23, 2009, 01:31:14 AM
I agree that the Jacksonville Farmers Market is a good example. I often feel like I am in the midst of a main street or center square in a town full of produce! Not made clear is that there are farmers, wholesalers, and retailers who trade amongst each other to complete the interconnectivity of those present. So, not only do competing vendors share customers, they share suppliers. It's the classic 1 + 1 = 3.
New York has other clusters such as Broadway for theater, the Diamond district for jewelery, Fifth Avenue for upscale shopping, Madison Avenue for advertising, Avenue of the Americas for corporate offices, etc. Washington DC has an unusual cluster, Embassy Row.
Whole cities have been large scale industry clusters such as Hartford for insurance, Detroit for autos, Akron for rubber, Milwaukee for beer, Hollywood for film studios, Orlando for theme parks, Las Vegas for casinos, Houston for oil companies, Paris for fashion and art, Atlanta for logistics, Norfolk for the Navy, Silicon Valley for computer technology, Research Triangle for drug companies, High Point, NC, for furniture, country music in Nashville, capitols for government, etc.
Another example, though perhaps a little less obvious, is the clustering of car dealers. Most dealers in town are clustered around the Avenues, Orange Park, Atlantic Blvd, and Cassatt. And, even where a few stray, they have a mini cluster such as Key Buick, Nolan Cadillac, and North Florida Lincoln Mercury on Southside Blvd.
Many times you will see clustering of services for boaters around marinas such as Lakeshore Blvd.
It the old days, gas stations would cluster, with one each on all four corners of an intersection. Restaurants in a mall food court would be another example. Apartment complexes often pop up in proximity to each other as well.
Well... its apparent this concept is practiced with success frequently. Maybe, zoning laws should be designed to encourage it more.
I think there are lots of opportunities for clustering and niching, but it comes down to an areas ability to sell itself as
the destination for theater (like in NYC's theater district) or blues music (like Beale St. in Memphis) or whatever. That means getting media outlets involved in branding an area and chambers of commerce and neighborhood groups and so on.
Having a common unifying thread throughout an area besides function is important too. For example, a common architecture sets Victorian Village in Columbus apart from other neighborhoods. Even little touches like unique street signs and lighting help set an area apart and lets anyone traveling through know that there is something different about this part of town. In the historic districts of my hometown streets are all paved in brick for example and homes and businesses must follow certain codes when making improvements to keep the historic feel.
Good signage also goes a long way.
Portland Chinatown: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ChinatownGatePortland.jpg#file
San Diego Gaslamp Quarter: http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/gallery/8602038_XMnx6#567311626_A2Fvb-A-LB
Columbus Arena District: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-1891-p1010182.JPG
Don't you suppose that franchising has been the death of niching? I mean, why travel to a different "Red Lobster?" Springfield, and other struggling neighborhoods, have the advantage of moms & pops, of unique places to explore.
The Landing is nothing more than another mall with a food court...what's the point?
I don't believe that niching has died. Its still alive and kicking. Outside of the government district around Hemming, we just haven't taken advantage of it in downtown.
Quote from: Ocklawaha on July 22, 2009, 12:59:00 PM
Lake, the first time I ever saw this done with intent was in the Los Angeles-Long Beach metroplex. Somewhere in East Long Beach a guy bought out a really big old tourist court motel. very conceivable hobby shop he could find.
OCKLAWAHA
Ock, do you know exactly where you remember this to be? Or do you remember the name? I am racking my brain and can not see this space. Maybe it no longer exists? Many in Springfield have voiced opinion of how absolutely COOL it would be to take Dancy Terrace/Redell Court and run with this niche idea. I can totally see mom and pop art and specialty shops in those bungalows. Dancy has such potential.
Los Angeles has several niche areas similiar to NYC, just more spread out. They have an AMAZING Farmer's Market. http://www.farmersmarketla.com/
Olvera Street has a niche feel as well. http://www.olvera-street.com/html/olvera_street.html
In Long Beach, there is a several block spread of Retro Shops that is popular, again following the niche idea. http://4thstreetlongbeach.com/
Quote from: stephendare on July 25, 2009, 08:51:14 PM
Sheclown, franchising is the exact opposite of niching.
Niching is a concept about interdependent similar natured businesses and people. Comparing it to franchising is like comparing fish to formica.
I figured as much. What I guess I'm trying to say is that our current mentality, in general, is to prefer franchises over independents.
That, I suggested, is the death of niching.
"Avondale is for the socially and politically affluent".
I have been wondering for years (since the old Dockside days) why I never felt comfortable in that neighborhood. :-)
Got to give them credit on architechure though. Those are nice homes. My wife keeps looking over there now to buy.
Please ignore my previous spelling of architecture ;D
Interesting republishing from 4 years ago! I wasn't even living back in Jax back then.
I see a lot of truth in this article, albeit a tad bit presumptive. But look at what's happened to downtown...definitely an entertainment district, driven primarily by the "hipster" demographic imo. Same with Post and King.
Whatever happened to that Chinese billionaire investor who wanted to create a Chinatown near the sports district? I assume he came to his senses. If I had those resources, I'd do it...but only cause of personal interest in the city, not because of any business/financial upside. And I'd probably wait another 15 years; Jax is simply not ready for that yet.
I got all the way to the comment about "soon to open Uptown Market" before I realized how old this story was. Thought-provoking for sure.
Quote from: stephendare on June 25, 2013, 03:11:34 PM
Thanks Max. What part did you find presumptuous?
Basically the generalization of which niche communities have driven the success of San Marco and Avondale and the implication that this is the only thing standing in the way of similar successes in Springfield, Murray Hill and St Nicholas, when there are certainly a handful of factors conspiring against the same levels of growth and development in those neighborhoods.
But I did not intend to detract from the overall effectiveness of the message in any way. Certainly a concept that merits plenty of discussion and corresponding action. ;D