Expect Growth

by Amy L. Webb

Question: What is four miles long, occupies 479,300 square feet of retail space and houses 27 national and regional businesses?

Answer: Girard Avenue. And it's about to get a facelift.

A new marketing analysis commissioned by the Girard Coalition and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national nonprofit organization that works with local groups to revitalize neighborhoods, shows great business potential along the avenue. "Each district along the corridor has different needs and different qualities," says Philadelphia-based LISC project officer Paul Marcus. "The west side has a concentrated population, but the Broad and Girard area has land available. We've taken an extremely detailed look at the corridor so that we can understand how to turn it into a vibrant commercial space."

Girard Avenue stretches from the Schuylkill River to I-95, crossing main arteries like Broad, Marshall and North 29th streets through Fishtown, North Philly and Fairmount/Brewerytown. Along the avenue, 211 stores in 38 retail categories, primarily personal service and convenience stores, are already in business and generate more than $104 million in annual sales. "With this information, residents can reach out to potential retailers and investors," Marcus says. "The analysis and the study itself was part of a process that relied heavily on neighborhood representatives. It's been an inclusive process."

The idea for a marketing analysis came from a series of meetings three years ago, when various neighborhood groups along the avenue met to formulate a cohesive plan for revitalization. The Girard Coalition eventually formed, and one goal was to entice new retailers and developers. Another was to encourage access to transportation, such as the newly restored Girard Avenue trolley line, which should be running in the next few months.

The Girard Coalition isn't the first neighborhood group to research commercial space viability. The Center City District has conducted numerous studies about parking, retail stores and residential development. The University City District is now surveying how and where people shop. And neighborhood groups are looking at streetscaping and planning around Fifth Street and Lehigh Avenue. Marcus says that while LISC is working with the coalition to inject retail growth, the benefits will eventually mean increased jobs, more housing and visible economic development. "The study is a great tool for us to use," Marcus says. "We've already had a lot of interest, and I think that the likelihood of success is high."

For more information, see www.liscnet.org/ philadelphia/programs/coalition_6066/index.shtml.

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