Slippery Slope

From Fast Food, the Internet, Big Box, Big Money, Cheap Land, Economic Incentives and everything else under the capitalistic sun that warms us, the competition probably has an advantage over the Big Bear Valley.

A little late in entering the race, (OK, really late) the vision required for the Big Bear Lake Community to really compete in the regional retail marketplace will require the one ingredient that will be the key to each and every success story we will ever read about. Innovation.

Innovation, combined with natural strengths, realistic goal setting and the will to work until one's goals are achieved are the elements of any home run, smash hit, best seller or happy ending. I believe you can apply the same formula to form a successful business plan.

The reality is however, that competition has never been tougher, but the rewards of economic prosperity for families and community will always be worthy of what ever it takes to achieve. How could it not?

I recently read a great article on the cultural aspect of competition and an intangible adversary. Author Jules Pieri on how the "discount Culture" is killing our economy.

Our successful vision will recognize the slippery slope of community planning and require the imagination to incorporate the innovation required to enhance our natural strengths to overcome our adversaries might.

City to Hire Retail Consultants

At the January 12, 2009 City Council Meeting, Council will be asked to approve the hiring of a new Retail Consultant. Nearly $12,000.00 will be committed to Assess and Define our local Retail marketplace in order to recruit new retail businesses to the city. The focus of The Fransen Company's work will be to attract new retailers to fill vacant space at the Von's Plaza and to fill "approved but not yet built" commercial space.

I will assume that this would be different information than was received from the 'Buxton Report', which was not released to the public when originally due in August, 08, nor in it's 'revised form' which was due to be released by the city prior to the end of 2008.

The many business closures throughout the valley in 2008 and the new commercial space completed in 07/08 have created a huge amount of vacant commercial space that seems to be the issue for the Redevelopment Agency.

The concern, should be, or at least of equal importance, how successfully our local retail marketplace competes for regional customers and the wicked fluctuation in tourism traffic during weekday and slack months. Changing our shrinking gross retail sales should be the short term goals for the City, well ahead of any plan for expansion.

Simply finding new businesses to fill vacant space will not change gross productivity but may exacerbate the problematic situation local merchants find themselves in today.

Carriage House Auto Vacates Blvd. Location

Carriage House Auto had always been a top sales tax producer for the city as well as permanent full time employer providing jobs for locals. I'm sure it must have been maddening when the Convention Center went into the used car business by the way of giving a venue to a nationwide car rental business to hold an annual used car sale on a car lot they only rented one weekend a year. It's not clear whether a special event permit was issued to the convention center for the car sales event or if a special permit would be required. At any rate, we can add the commercial property formerly the home of Carriage House Auto to the list of commercial space available in the City of Big Bear Lake.

Haus and Home to Close Doors

The long time furnishings and decor store will close it's doors forever on Jan. 1, 2009, according to the channel 6 TV spot I saw over the holiday weekend. This will happen at the end of their "retirement sale" that has been in progress the past few weeks. The rumor is that Big 5 Sporting Goods will give up their approved use at the "Menaldi Development" site on the Blvd. and take the empty (+/- 15,000 sf ) Interlaken Plaza space. Either way, I believe Big 5 does intend to open a store in the City of Big Bear Lake. The discussion will be interesting, I'm sure.

http://www.topix.com/city/big-bear-lake-ca/2008/06/menaldi-project-gets-ok

timbreunig@unitedwoodcraftsmen.com