Habitat Leaving the Crossroads

[Midtownkid]

Another disappointment for the crossroads...Habitat is moving.  I saw a for lease sigh in their window.  I asked the clerk if they were closing, she said no, they are just moving.  I asked where, she said she didn't know yet.  I told her "Don't go to Kansas!"  She said, "We'll try!"  I would hate for Prairie Village to steal another urban retailer.  She said there wasn't enough foot traffic in the area.  Hope to see them in the old Starbucks in Westport, but doubt that.

Good News though, the Taylor Building next to Helix architecture and down the street from Soho South is renovated and looks great!  I took a peek inside and it has an awesome grand stair and exposed heavy timer structure.

[KCMax]

Another disappointment for the crossroads...Habitat is moving.  I saw a for lease sigh in their window.  I asked the clerk if they were closing, she said no, they are just moving.  I asked where, she said she didn't know yet.  I told her "Don't go to Kansas!"  She said, "We'll try!"  I would hate for Prairie Village to steal another urban retailer.  She said there wasn't enough foot traffic in the area.  Hope to see them in the old Starbucks in Westport, but doubt that.

Habitat relocation

“We hope this move will strengthen our business and allow us to continue to offer the most unique shoes and accessories available in the Kansas City metropolitan area,” said owners John and Kristen McClain in a statement.

Hey, I went to school with John McClain!

[LenexatoKCMO]

There was something about the timing and tone in the notice on the window that somehow made me wonder if perhaps they weren't moving to the retail block of P&L and just had to keep their mouths shut until an official announcement.  It came off like they knew where they were going but couldn't say. 

[darin]

Hugely disappointing news from Joyce Smith today in the star...

Habitat relocation

The Crossroads will soon lose another retailer. Habitat Shoe Store, 1800 Baltimore Ave., plans to relocate to southern Johnson County this fall. The store opened in late 2005.

“We hope this move will strengthen our business and allow us to continue to offer the most unique shoes and accessories available in the Kansas City metropolitan area,” said owners John and Kristen McClain in a statement.

For the past 2 and 1/2 years I've bought my shoes here.  John and Kristen are totally first class from my experience and losing this type of retail is a huge blow to the Crossroads and the Urban core.  Granted, there stuff was a little expensive for my finances, but they are exactly the type of retail I expect in cool, urban areas and I always felt good to support them. 

[beautyfromashes]

Honestly, I know that people are begging for retail in the core, but, I'm not sure if it is possible or even necessary.  If DT is truly full of younger, tech savvy consumers then I would assume that most would buy goods online instead of a store.  Obviously, grocery stores and places for immediate goods are needed, but, clothes, electronics, furniture, etc. can all be found cheaper on the web. 

[ignatius]

I've mentioned this before when talking about Xroads similarities to Williamsburg arts district in Brooklyn.  The only way retail will work in Xroads is to have a concentration on one strip.  This is how any new urban neighborhood develops out of old warehousey/industrial areas in large cities.  Main St. through Xroads needs to be developed/infilled with retail sites from P&L to Union Station.  And it must be streetfront with parking in the rear.  Retail is too fragmented about to work.

[bobbyhawks]

Honestly, I know that people are begging for retail in the core, but, I'm not sure if it is possible or even necessary.  If DT is truly full of younger, tech savvy consumers then I would assume that most would buy goods online instead of a store.  Obviously, grocery stores and places for immediate goods are needed, but, clothes, electronics, furniture, etc. can all be found cheaper on the web. 

If you can go into a store, try on some clothes, and take them home immediately, I fail to see how online really trumps that.  Online, I would think, is more of a threat to suburban stores which require planning and a reasonably long trip, or deciding on a day walking the plaza.  I know a bunch of people who work (not necessarily live) downtown who would love to walk a few blocks from work and buy some clothes before heading home, and many who did when I used to work on the plaza.  These are all young, tech savvy people.  Being able to see if something fits or looks good on you, then not having to wait two business days, is absolutely still worth a premium. 

Retail is too fragmented about to work.

Biggest problem downtown right now.  If the P&L retail can drum up some interest, I hope Main/Grand/Baltimore can string it out.  There is a lot of opportunity right now, and it would be made even easier if we capped the highway with a park, etc.

[KCMax]

I buy a lot of things online, but not clothes.

[dangerboy]

The only way retail will work in Xroads is to have a concentration on one strip.  This is how any new urban neighborhood develops out of old warehousey/industrial areas in large cities. 

Exactly.  All of the clothing, retail, furniture, etc. needs to be closer together so there is foot traffic.  The Crossroads is really big and there aren't many obvious subdivisions to make more accessible. It's at least as big as the Loop, which is divided into more manageable sub-districts with a specific focus.

[darin]

  Obviously, grocery stores and places for immediate goods are needed, but, clothes, electronics, furniture, etc. can all be found cheaper on the web. 

No disrespect, but I think this type of attitude hurts places like Habitat.  Sure, I could have bought my last 5-6 pairs of shoes online and saved anywhere from $5 to maybe $15 per pair.  But, I find actually being able to try on shoes, talk to the guy who runs the store and support a local business trying to make it work in the core substantially more satisfying than saving a few dollars at zappos.com or urban outfitters or..... 

[LenexatoKCMO]

I am going to take a bit of a contrarian stance here and suggest that Habitat's problem may have more to do with what they are selling than where they are located.  Has much of any independent clothing boutique of this sort ever flourished in KC?  This is such a casual, unpretentious town that it just doesn't seem like there are that many people around that care about paying more for unique, super trendy clothes that they wont see on anyone else.  Hell the clothes in most of these little boutiques probably won't even fit 95% of Kansas Citians.  Most folks in this town seem perfectly content with the national mass chain selection they find at the malls and lifestyle centers - even folks who live in the xroads.  That's not to say this market can't be built up but I think it is an uphill battle and I don't know that SoJoCo really puts you on any firmer ground. 

[beautyfromashes]

No disrespect, but I think this type of attitude hurts places like Habitat.  Sure, I could have bought my last 5-6 pairs of shoes online and saved anywhere from $5 to maybe $15 per pair.  But, I find actually being able to try on shoes, talk to the guy who runs the store and support a local business trying to make it work in the core substantially more satisfying than saving a few dollars at zappos.com or urban outfitters or..... 

I actually shopped there several times.  I'm just not sure if I would fit the young, tech savvy crowd.  I was just thinking that those under 30 seem to buy much more of their products online and that is the crowd that is growing downtown. 

[dangerboy]

I am going to take a bit of a contrarian stance here and suggest that Habitat's problem may have more to do with what they are selling than where they are located.  Has much of any independent clothing boutique of this sort ever flourished in KC?   This is such a casual, unpretentious town that it just doesn't seem like there are that many people around that care about paying more for unique, super trendy clothes that they wont see on anyone else. 

So you are saying there aren't enough Chrizow's in KC to sustain Habitat?

[LenexatoKCMO]

So you are saying there aren't enough Chrizow's in KC to sustain Habitat?

As I wrote that I was trying to think of how many people I know that wear boutique clothing.  One person did come to mind . . .   

[chrizow]

haha.  as much as i like Habitat, i've only purchased a wallet there (one of the sweet Freitag ones) and a pair of shoes for m'lady. 

[dangerboy]

haha.  as much as i like Habitat, i've only purchased a wallet there (one of the sweet Freitag ones) and a pair of shoes for m'lady. 

So it's your fault they are leaving

[trailerkid]

I could see them going into Leawood Park Place.

[DaveKCMO]

they're going to one nineteen, according to joyce.

[DaveKCMO]

well, that's at least true. they're in the shoe trade.

[beautyfromashes]

Sellouts!