Tackling vacancy in your town or city centre might be like getting a former department store, now-empty big brand shop or ex-bank back in use…
…the answer may be splitting it up.
It’s an approach we’ve turned to in a number of the 36 locations we’re supporting through #TheVacantShopsAcademy, where one, two or more sections of the centre have varying vacancy levels, a different mix of uses and so challenges and opportunities that aren’t all the same.
Looking back it’s something we first drew on in Oxford city centre management days while working on its vision and action plan process.
One city centre and, by comparison with others, not one with a huge footprint, but within that, several distinct areas. Some had a cluster of vacant units. Several have attractions, historic / heritage features and street scene that give a clue to opportunities going forward. Within the whole there are different mixes of #retail, #hospitality, services or ‘alternative’ uses that create options for branding, promotion and targeting new tenants if empty units emerge.
Is it the same with your town or city centre…? Do you need a number of tackling #highstreet vacancy strategies rather than one…? It’d be interesting to hear.
I don’t know the vacancy numbers or back story now as well as I did in those days, but as it’s our nearest city, still visit Oxford often. One of the fascinating lessons has been to watch agents and landlords adjusting the mix on its actual High Street and attracting – as our image shows – new occupiers to take account of the changing citywide balance of shopping here.
