since when is a big ugly mall a town center?

[30A Skunkape]

I guess this type of development is clearly being done for the tourist, the short-term visitor, because most of us didn't move here because Keith Howard planned to "take the retail lifestyle experience to the next level."

I'm not even sure just what that is, but I know that's not what drew me here.

At some point, enough is enough, and even the tourists who largely drive our economy will begin to ask why we choose (zone, approve, etc.) to trade more open space for more shopping .... how much shopping can one do on vacation??? I thought it was the beach & the sun, and the woods & lakes & trails, and Dread Clampitt -- OK, smooth jazz even -- but MORE retail lifestyle experience ???

Please tell me this will get better, not worse.

You are so right. Have you ever watched beach TV? There is a spot for Destin Commons, and the quote is something very similar to "The Emerald Coast is now recognozed as one of the country's most important shopping destinations"! This always sounded very strange to me...what the hell is important about shopping for what is mostly clutter, and who on Earth except the Paris Hilton types go on vacation to shop? And from what I can tell, it looks like they are building the same stores that you can find just about anywhere else. Funny story, last night we went to the French Quarter to watch the Christmas lights being lit in Jackson Square. We walked by a Pottery Barn store on the edge of the Quarter, and a lady in a group walking next to us proclaimed "Why would I go to a Pottery Barn in the French Quarter?". My thoughts exactly.

 

[mf]

I guess this type of development is clearly being done for the tourist, the short-term visitor, because most of us didn't move here because Keith Howard planned to "take the retail lifestyle experience to the next level."

I'm not even sure just what that is, but I know that's not what drew me here.

At some point, enough is enough, and even the tourists who largely drive our economy will begin to ask why we choose (zone, approve, etc.) to trade more open space for more shopping .... how much shopping can one do on vacation??? I thought it was the beach & the sun, and the woods & lakes & trails, and Dread Clampitt -- OK, smooth jazz even -- but MORE retail lifestyle experience ???

Please tell me this will get better, not worse.

what tourist comes to a place for pf changs?????

again.. ZERO marketing. ZERO understanding of the tourism demographic and their expectations.

they have UPSCALE prices with MOTEL 6 amenities and planning.

the tourists want all the things you mention. nature and local culture.

the current powers that be are wiping out what will make them money instead of providing a platform for it and promoting it.

it's simply bad business. will NOT make them money and devalues the property. i can only hope that fortress investments who now owns intrawest will care enough to change the current course before any potential marketing benefits are destroyed before they just give up and dump the property.

 

[mf]

You are so right. Have you ever watched beach TV? There is a spot for Destin Commons, and the quote is something very similar to "The Emerald Coast is now recognozed as one of the country's most important shopping destinations"! This always sounded very strange to me...what the hell is important about shopping for what is mostly clutter, and who on Earth except the Paris Hilton types go on vacation to shop? And from what I can tell, it looks like they are building the same stores that you can find just about anywhere else. Funny story, last night we went to the French Quarter to watch the Christmas lights being lit in Jackson Square. We walked by a Pottery Barn store on the edge of the Quarter, and a lady in a group walking next to us proclaimed "Why would I go to a Pottery Barn in the French Quarter?". My thoughts exactly.

p.s. any BASIC research of the tourism demographic will show you that most people come here from urban areas with superior shopping and the draw is nature and local low-key culture.

they are destroying the marketing value and in turn their lame attempts to compete for shopping is only an embarrassment compared to other markets.

it doesn't make ANY sense. they are building urban density with NONE of the services or infrastructure (security, traffic) or cultural benefits.

who wants to visit that?

 

[mf]

give me the good old days of dining in a hole in the wall joint owned by a Chinese family, dark except for dim red lighting ala an opium den, and the danger of finding a piece of fowl in your food that is taboo in our culture. The good old days. The soothing lettuce wraps are pretty good though!

amen brotha!
HAHAHAHAHA!!!


anyhoo, people don't come to the south for chinese or italian! they want bbq, cajun and soul food!!! where are those places??? there's one in the village, but the food is not very good and when everyone working there is from eastern europe you kidn of lose the flavor....:funn:

jim and nicks i really like though and it's a good idea because it's local.

 

[jimmyp5]

they are destroying the marketing value and in turn their lame attempts to compete for shopping is only an embarrassment compared to other markets.

it doesn't make ANY sense. they are building urban density with NONE of the services or infrastructure (security, traffic) or cultural benefits.

Thank you ... I couldn't have said it better.

 

[Jdarg]

This reminds me of another "destination shopping" vacation spot that was once a beautiful, natural area--Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. Lots of hotels, water parks, buffet restaurants, outlet malls, stores selling an unbelieveable amount of crap- and many of the people who vacation there never set foot on anything but the asphalt parking lots. I can't imagine spending our hard earned vacation time shopping and swimming in a pool.

It may seem wacko to us, but there you have it- it takes all kinds.

 

[mf]

This reminds me of another "destination shopping" vacation spot that was once a beautiful, natural area--Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. Lots of hotels, water parks, buffet restaurants, outlet malls, stores selling an unbelieveable amount of crap- and many of the people who vacation there never set foot on anything but the asphalt parking lots. I can't imagine spending our hard earned vacation time shopping and swimming in a pool.

It may seem wacko to us, but there you have it- it takes all kinds.

that's true. you will get LOTS of people. but LOTS of people is not good marketing. LOTS of money is. the problem is that particular demographic who comes here to shop second rate mall stores cannot sustain the inflated home values of this area.

what does that mean for you? rentals become more competitive, rental values cannot sustain current mortgages, home values decrease, taxes decrease, county infrastructure negatively affected.

 

[mf]

More Condos in South Walton?
I did a Google search for "Grand Boulevard" and "Sandestin" and I got this link:

http://www.thetenpoundfactor.com/ani..._boulevard.swf

It says they plan to build 350 condos in Grand Boulevard in 2008. That's news to me.

to add fuel to the fire. i see here they have 350 condos and just built another 300 or so hotel room in grand boulevard.

how do they plan on filling these rooms? and if they do, what are all these people going to do for fun?

go to coldwater creek?

i'm worried about safety with all these potential college kids looking for cheap rooms at the beach and nothing for them to do.

 

[mf]

Quote: Sandestin, Florida, December 6, 2006 -Rising auspiciously.....



Believe me I am normally very excited about any auspicious rising, but not generally within this context.

hehe!;-)

 

[sunspotbaby]

800,000 permanent residents???? I guess we better up the circulation of the paper!:funn: