(Port City Daily photo / CORY MANNION)
WILMINGTON — Corporate chains are beginning to creep into historic downtown Wilmington. But what does it mean? And what rules are in place that keep national franchises in — or out — of the historic downtown area?
As the city continues to develop at a rapid pace, the distinctive appeal of historic downtown Wilmington as a cultural bygone can provide a sense of escape.
Some may say minimized franchise-options is part of what makes downtown Wilmington so charming, while others may look to chains for consistency.
The corporate creep
“There’s now beginning to be a trend that’s evolving whereby strip centers and shopping malls in particular seem to be a little bit played out, so there are beginning to be a wave of chain stores that are beginning to reexamine urban areas,” said Ed Wolverton, CEO of Wilmington Downtown Incorporated.
“There is no policy to prevent chains from coming in,” he said. “There are some communities that have looked to try to create some.”
After the 2013 closing of the Soapbox Laundro-Lounge, Waffle House experienced some pushback when they tried to occupy the historic storefront on North Front Street.
Residents and business owners in downtown Asheville famously attempted to keep the quirky community chain-free, but state statutes limit banning occupants who wish to conduct business in an area from doing so. Wilmingtonians looking to keep franchises out of downtown face the same limitations.
“I think there are some challenges to be able to dictate that,” Wolverton said.
Attempts to restrict any corporation which falls within city guidelines of operation may be interpreted as anti-business. And it’s not just restaurant chains that are part of the debate.
“We’re now even beginning to see some big-box stores that had never really thought of an urban location, consider downtown,” Wolverton said.
This month, Target is set to open its doors on Hillsborough Street, a historic area which leads into downtown Raleigh. While Wilmington may be a decade away from big-box enterprise consideration, current design requirements may leave wiggle room for their arrival.
As use restrictions are fairly freewheeling, design standards are the sole barricade to prevent or permit national franchise opportunities from coming into downtown.
The code directly states, “The intent of the design standards is to recognize and respect historic resources; to preserve and respect existing historic buildings; to preserve the cohesive character of the downtown area by compatible, sympathetic development and to provide an enhanced pedestrian experience.”
So, does a Subway help preserve the “cohesive character” of the downtown area? If they are willing to modify their corporate branding requirements to respectfully occupy a historic building, as far as the city is concerned, yes.
For example, one design standard enforced in the historic district is the presence of floor length storefront windows, to improve and cater to the pedestrian experience.
Commercial occupants of buildings located within the historic district are subject to review by the Historic Preservation Commission, which grants or rejects a Certification of Appropriateness to move forward.
Christine Hughes, Wilmington Senior Planner, admits the ordinances are “not the strongest design standards.”
A commercial ebb and flow
George Edwards, executive director of the Historic Wilmington Foundation, describes the ebb and flow of corporate enterprise as a delicate dynamic.
“I think there’s a strong feeling among downtown redevelopment people, among preservationists, that the stronger downtowns are achieved with local business, local investment,” Edwards said.
Downtown Wilmington has rich, historic roots, with an initial industrial boost coming from national franchises.
“Of course historically, we wouldn’t use the word chain, what was Belks? And what was Penneys? And Sears? They were all national chains that used to anchor our downtowns,” Edwards said.
By the 1980s, Edwards said most regional chains in the downtowns across the states were gone and had moved into strip centers and malls.
Still, big names bring more assured revenue, which can help support the economy of independent storefronts nearby.
“If you don’t have a vital core to the downtown, you really kind of rot from the heart out, which is bad,” he said. “Your neighborhoods deteriorate around the core, et cetera.”
Downtown Wilmington has hosted and in all likelihood will continue to host recognizable franchise storefronts, including Subway, Jimmy John’s, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Kilwin’s, and most recently, Blackfinn Ameripub.
What separates the chains from the mom-and-pops?
“The commitment level may be higher, the originality of the product and the store space may be higher, they are not going to be as formulaic, and their tenacity to stick it out may be a little bit higher too,” Edwards said. “I don’t believe we have any chains that are members of the Historic Wilmington Foundation.”
Regardless of if the more commercial entities participate in downtown cultural happenings, preservationists and planners agree that there is still value in their presence in the historic district.
“Done in moderation, done strategically, it can be a strength to the downtown,” Edwards said.
When tourists arrive, a name-brand may offer comfort and reliability. However, part of the allure of the historic district is a sense of exploration and adventure. When visitors inquire the director of the Historic Wilmington Foundation about what to do while enjoying downtown, he points them toward the local staples.
“Inevitably, I do send them to the local places, because those are the unique places,” he said. “I know that Subway is still going to get a share of the market, but I want the local guys to survive and flourish.”
Downtown wasn’t built in a day
Neither was Mayfaire, but there is certainly something intangible that distinguishes the two.
Saturated with national franchises, tenants of the Mayfaire Town Center are restricted to tighter guidelines, which fit a corporate mold with less resistance.
Downtown Wilmington entrusts more operational function to individual business owners, which opens up room for entrepreneurial endeavors.
“They (Mayfaire) have rigid hours that you must have your store open, 9-9, that’s part of their lease,” Edwards said.
“Downtowns down don’t typically have that level of requirement so people are more free to pick hours and operation and standards that they prefer, rather than being dictated by a centralized management entity.”
Then, there’s the local economic component. Aside from hosting mostly national corporations’ storefronts, The Mayfaire Town Center and Mayfaire Community Center were sold in 2015 to a Tennessee-based real estate investment trust.
“Overall there’s greater economic vitality with locally owned and operated shops because they’re locally owned and operated, more of the money tends to stay within the local economy,” Wolverton said.
With less operating restrictions, downtown Wilmington is a hub for entrepreneurial creativity.
“Downtown is really a beacon for independently owned and operated shops,” Edwards said. “Most downtowns across the country are predominantly composed of independently owned and operated shops.”
However, it’s not always as simple as more regulation versus less regulation, as an area’s economic behavior is dependent upon the way regulations are applied and interpreted.
The wild wild West – or North?
There’s a grey area in the modernization of the northern riverfront of downtown Wilmington.
With the arrival of corporate chains to the northern riverfront, it’s worth noting the “more basic” design and development standards of the area as Hughes assesses, which are not subject to the zoning restrictions enforced on the Historic District Overlay.
“The lack of historic buildings, the grid-street pattern falls off a little bit, it’s a different character,” Hughes said.
In the Historic District Overlay of downtown Wilmington, buildings are subject to review by the Historic Preservation Commission, which enforces aesthetic and historical design standards.
The northern riverfront falls outside of the Historic District Overlay, which lends more power to occupants when it comes to design decisions. This technicality, among other factors, is why the northern riverfront is continually approaching a modernized aesthetic and attracting corporate occupants.
Blackfinn Ameripub and Vida Mexican Kitchen y Cantina – both Charlotte-based and owned by the same company – have dozens of locations throughout the region and have established themselves on the northern riverfront with a newly minted development.
Just last month, The New York Times chastised Charlotte for its lack of “cultural edginess.”
“If we’re going to continue to have a continued, viable downtown, residents, non-profit agencies, they’ve all got to make their point of view known,” Edwards said. “Some of those people would push back if business sought to undo some of the nice things about the downtown.”
Especially outside of the Historic District Overlay, the verbiage of the standing ordinances remains up for interpretation.
“I think regardless of who a tenant is, you can do something that respects the character of an area or you can do something that doesn’t,” Hughes said.
Johanna Ferebee can be reached at johanna@localvoicemedia.com
