Downtown Renton goes toe-to-toe with Fremont

A reader of the “Randy Corman for Mayor” Facebook page recently asked me to comment on whether our city was favoring big box stores at the Landing at the expense of downtown merchants.

Photo:  Renton’s newest and likely most iconic art piece, Erasmus the dragon, was unveiled in Downtown Renton in April

It’s not one over the other.  Both of these shopping districts, the the Landing and historic downtown, and all our other business zones, are extremely important to Renton.

When Renton residents shop in Renton, our city receives one percent sales tax on the purchase (a tenth of the total sales tax collected ).  Our share of sales tax adds up to tens of millions of dollars each year in revenue for Renton, paying for police officers, parks, streets, and other services, and reducing our dependence on property taxes and other taxes on residents. And residents who shop locally keep another car off the freeway by reducing their travel.

Photo:  The Renton Landing in spring (courtesy Gary Palmer)

Note that in addition to the Landing and downtown, we have many other vibrant and vital shopping areas in our city; Renton Center, Renton Village, the Rainier Avenue corridor, the Valley/IKEA district, the Highlands, Cascade/Benson, and many neighborhood-convenience districts. All Renton’s business districts are important to us, and our Community and Economic Development (CED) department is working every day to help them thrive.

Regarding the relationship between the Landing/Southport area and our historic downtown, the subject of the original Facebook question, I think of it something like this:

For Renton residents who want to visit a modern shopping center, The Landing (along with several other shopping areas in Renton) provides an excellent local choice over the malls and modern shopping centers in Bellevue, Tukwilla, and Issaquah.  We also compete strongly in this arena with Renton Center, Renton Village, the IKEA district, and businesses on our Rainier Corridor.

For residents looking for urban shopping and dining experiences in an area with rich history and unique character , Renton’s downtown provides a local choice that competes with Seattle’s popular quirky business districts like Fremont, Wallingford and Georgetown.  Our downtown dates back to horse-and-buggy days, when Renton was a center for regional commerce, giving this district a vibe that is hard to replicate in many suburban areas.

Photo:  Historic Downtown Renton hopping with visitors on the afternoon of the rooftop dragon unveiling

We’ve worked diligently with both the Landing and downtown to bring the improvements they need to continue growing and succeeding.  In downtown we added a seven story parking garage, Piazza, and Pavilion Event Center, and more recently we’re converting one-way streets back to two-way, widening sidewalks where we can, and helping owners complete facade improvements.  We’ve also been supporting our Arts Commission as they  bring in a plethora of creative new art, to compete head-on with Seattle’s vibrant art scene.  Our new rooftop dragon, Erasmus, is our direct answer to Fremont’s troll.  We’re also moving the Transit Center to Rainier and Grady, while keeping good Metro bus service to our downtown.  We’ve recently completed a Downtown Core Plan, with extensive business and resident involvement, which will direct us as we implement new fun and shopper-friendly uses for the Transit Center space, the old Big 5 site, and other public property in the area.

At the Landing we allowed some big-box format during initial zoning to help bring in steady revenues and anchor the entertainment and dining district of the shopping center. At Southport we’re working with the owner to extend Park Avenue, to give a proper grand entrance to the center and connect it better with the Landing.

To further promote business, we’ve maintained one of the lowest Business and Occupations tax rates in the region, and recently did away with our per-employee tax.  Our B&O tax exempts the first $500,000 of a company’s revenues, so many new small businesses are exempted from this tax altogether.  In the past year, we’ve aligned our system of B&O tax collection with the state system, to make it easier for businesses to track and pay the tax, simplifying their paperwork.  We have also teamed with Renton Technical College to create resources and classes to help new business start-ups, the life-blood of all business districts.

Our Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with other community-building groups like Renton Downtown Partnership, have done continuous amazing work to bring in new businesses, get them off to a great start, and add even more vitality to our business districts.  These organizations have helped create and co-sponsor wine walks, art walks and even major game-changing events like Renton Comic Con to ensure people of all ages and interests discover our many businesses in Renton.

Photo:  A Pop-up Park advertises an upcoming Renton Comic Convention (RenCon), on South 3rd Street in Downtown Renton

Even with all this growth and excitement, it’s true we have lost some beloved businesses.  For example, this last year we lost Garland Jewelers, and just this last week the Comic Hut closed in downtown Renton.  My understanding is that often these types of closures are not the result of a hostile business climate, but instead a result of changing times, rent increases, or a desire to retire on the part of the owner.  Higher rents in particular have impacted business as painfully as they’ve impacted residents region wide.  As a city there is not much we can do about this, as we do not want to intentionally suppress property values lest we halt investment in our city.

Nationwide, we’re seeing trending away from big-box retailers toward the more experienced-based shopping choices that you’ll find in our downtown and Landing entertainment district offer, as well as other places around our city.  The closure of Sam’s Club is a local example of this.  Online shopping has been reducing consumer tendency to go to stores for simple acquisitions of impersonal commodities.  But local stores still win out for items where the purchase is a positive experience, like trying on several outfits and choosing a favorite, or getting advice when making a home repair. This is particularly true if a store provides a knowledgeable expert to assist the customer with their choices. Businesses that teach customers, entertain them, bring them to a part of the city they enjoy, or simply provide a pleasant social setting will always be popular. Local shops also still win out over internet shopping for health services, perishables like groceries, anything we need immediately, and items that are big and bulky like building supplies. In addition, the internet can’t compete with Dining establishments, so new restaurants and cafes are always a great fit in our community.

The businesses throughout our city increase our quality of life, perform vital services for us, and pay many of our City bills.  While this blog focuses primarily on daily shopping, I need to point out that our award-winning auto dealers and appliance sellers also contribute mightily to our sales tax base, as well as giving generously to the community. And our businesses that bring us jobs are also critical, but the subject for another blog.  I thank the owners, proprietors, and hard-working employees of all our businesses, and promise to keep supporting them in every way I can.

Photo: Photographer Gary Palmer used a wide-angle lens to capture the brilliance of the Lake Washington side of the Grand Hyatt at Southport

Photo:  Gary Palmer wide-angle view of Olde Fashioned Halloween activities in our century-old historic downtown