Custom Search
|
|
How Would A Big-box Retailer Influence Pagosa Springs Co Real Estate?
A press release was sent out jointly by the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners, the Town of Pagosa Springs and the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation in September 2010. It announced that a big retail store is sincerely considering the development of a resource in the Pagosa Springs area. We understand that the retailer is in fact Wal-Mart, and that Pagosa Springs is being considered for their next round of incidence in Colorado. The spot being considered (on the northwest corner of Vista Boulevard and U.S. 160) is actually out of the town limits, on the west side of town. Prior to now, the Sawmill Road area on the southeast corner of the intersection of U.S. 160 and 84 has also been considered a prospect for a large-format retail store complex. This is on the east side of town, and much closer to downtown. This project is clearly still in the investigative stage, and the store may not be built (at least for now). Nonetheless, a Big Box retailer is likely to make it one day, assuming our town remains healthy enough to draw one. For that reason, it is worth taking into consideration the effect on local real estate. The present location under evaluation would definitely cause an economic swing in the direction of the "core area" on the west side of town and away from downtown. This is particularly so with the recent loss of our only downtown grocery store, and one of the banks. At the same time, the proposed site could help the developing core area. This kind of a positioning might also act to guide new traffic through downtown and up Putt Hill. Historic downtown will always keep the durable and irreplaceable attractions of the hot springs themselves, as well as the resorts, stores, eating places and additional services located in the vicinity. It has the river walk, post office, parks, and nearby fair grounds. There is no grounds for downtown to fade away, merely because an added attraction is 3 miles away. We are discussing a six minute drive, after all. It is doubtful tourists will prefer to hover around a Wal-Mart during their vacation in Pagosa Springs. But folks taking lodging downtown are more bound to get exposure to the many businesses along the way, if they are drawn to do some of their buying at a Big Box store on the west side of town. If Pagosa Springs lands a big discount retailer, we can anticipate a great deal of patrons coming in from as far as Chama. (In the same way as numerous Pagosans now journey to Durango for their discount shopping.) If their destination is on the other edge of town, these shoppers will end up traversing all through virtually our whole economic area, consequently amplifying the exposure of the many small shops and dining establishments along the way. A large retailer would create a sizable financial benefit to the community, not to mention Archuleta county, assuming we don't give away too many tax concessions. More locals will stay in town to go shopping, more will venture in from nearby localities, and property tax income might be substantial. The construction alone would deliver quite a lot of employment in the short run, especially in the building trades, which have been very hard hit. While Wal-Mart is not famous for providing well paid jobs with excellent benefits, sorry to say, neither are small-town locally-owned merchants. With better income, the county's capacity to keep up roads and other infrastructure, as well as to fund our public schools, will be improved. This has a direct positive influence on property values. The bottom line is that the building of a Big Box retail store will most likely have a constructive effect on people's homes and land values. Discovering whether or not your specific home or company will gain requires looking at the kind of property and how close it is to a big discounter's retail complex. The anticipated site might actually delight the adjoining neighbors, who don't reside in elite communities. The presence of a big discounter could well improve the worth of the location to lower income families and companies that cater to them. Businesses that aim at higher-income shoppers may discover they are better situated in the more expensive regions of town, along with other companies who share their consumer base. There's no reason why this need conflict with the development of a large-format retailer at the proposed site. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com For further articles on Pagosa Springs Real Estate, please visit your Pagosa Springs Realtors. Riverside Properties 475 Lewis St Ste 213, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147. Phone 970-403-5025 |
|