“Get the keys. Go take a look inside, as a team.”
It’s an answer I gave when asked this week by a group of place leaders and managers about two large, long-time empty units in their town centre.
The idea that tackling #highstreet vacancy is much more than “just an agent-landlord thing” is a crucial part of our approach.
Getting a ‘place partnership’ on the case to bring together agents and landlords with businesses, community, cultural organisations, council(s), chamber, BID where there is one and others identified locally is an important first step.
It means you have a much wider range of skills, experience, connections, resources and powers in play which can be invaluable, especially when it comes to the trickier units.
By taking a look inside with council planners, conservation officers, building control / standards and private sector architects, developers, commercial #property agents, it’s easier to see the options, assess barriers then work out how they can be overcome, and which partners need step up to make that happen.
It works for any kind of empty unit but particularly for the landmark, sometimes #heritage former department or large #retail brand stores and ex-banks.
If – as very many of the 39 places we’re working with and those we visit do – that’s an issue for your town or city centre, we’d be very happy to talk through the approach in more detail.
Do let us know…
