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"As a first-time homebuyer, I was nervous about the entire process. Step by step, Joe made it easy and fun. His expertise in the Columbus real estate market is a tremendous asset. He is highly recommended!" - Nicolette Horan, March 08
"I wanted to say thank you again, so much, for all your hard work. I know that you really put a lot of time into this transaction and I really, really appreciate it. I'm so happy I got the house and it all worked out and I just wanted to say thanks again, you did a great job and i really appreciate it. I will put that on the survey when they send it to me.
If there is ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to give me a call. I will refer every single person I know to you. I'm going to go get my dog and we're going to sit on the floor of our new house and have a glass of champaign. Thanks a lot Joe" -- Michael Mamp, Feb 08
Can Save A Lot Save Main Street?
February 27th, 2008 categories: Columbus News, Olde Towne East
A while back, Columbus Compact had announced that Save A Lot, the country’s 5th largest supermarket, was coming to Main Street. Then, about a year ago, they announced they were not coming to Main Street. In part, that decision was made because Wal Mart opened up in Whitehall on Main Street. Well, it appears Save a Lot is back, in the same location at 1179 E. Main — the old Kroger/Salvation Army site.
Expected to open some time this summer, it’ll be about a 16,000 s.f. store offering standard supermarket fare of fruits, veggies, fish, butcher cut meats, dairy, canned foods, dry
goods, frozen foods, etc. They have high buying power and low prices.
Jon Beard of Columbus Compact has said they expect the store to generate between 2,500 and 3,000
shopping trips a week. I agree with him that those numbers are the type of customer traffic that
helps other retailers to thrive, and could be instrumental in the Near East’s efforts to continue to attract quality retailers and mainstream consumers to E. Main Street. The bottom line, as far as this blog is concerned, is that a new grocery store on Main Street can’t help but raise interest in this part of town and, eventually trickling down, home values and desirability.
But, when you travel down East Main Street from High Street Downtown all the way to Bexley, you can’t help but notice the entire street is for sale or for lease. For about 6 months now I’ve been meaning to write a blog post called something like “Main Street USA, now for sale or lease” because nearly every single property, commercial or residential, is for sale or for lease.
While the upside for Main Street is tremendous, the products of years of neglect are evident all the way from downtown to Bexley. Many who live in Olde Towne East pooh-poohed the Save a Lot idea the first time around because it wasn’t up-scale enough, but failed to notice that there isn’t a grocery store between German Village’s Giant Eagle and the Kroger at Main and Nelson.
I like the Save a Lot concept and while I’ll probably continue to do most of my shopping at the Brewery District Kroger because I’m crazy in love with it, I think the Save a Lot does have some good potential to contribute to the continuation of purchasing and rehabbing of the Near East’s portion of the National Road.
Andrew Hartley
April 11th, 2008
Joe:
It’s funny that you mention that you think the Sav-A-Lot will bring interest and hopefully improvement to Olde Towne East, but you immediately say that you’ll still do your shopping at Kroger in the Brewery District!
If a store doesn’t have neighborhood support, it won’t survive, and the last thing OTE needs right now is another failed business.
My biggest hope is that the Sav-A-Lot will drive a few of the carryouts out of business - especially the ones at Main & Ohio… but since the Sav-A-Lot won’t be selling any alcohol at all, my guess is that the carryouts will still have plenty of business.
Namaste,
Andrew
Joe Peffer
April 11th, 2008
I know Andrew, I know. I do plan to support the Save a Lot as much as I can and I do hope it cuts down on some of those carry outs too.
It’s all part of the many paradoxes of living in OTE. I always talk the talk but sometimes i just can’t walk the walk - schools for instance, my kids don’t go to Trevitt elementary or Douglass because I don’t think that’s the best course of action for our family.
And like the carry outs — they serve a purpose, their extinction would mean putting people out of business, losing their jobs. I don’t want 40 ounce bottles in my yard though and I don’t want a parade of people walking down my street to the carryout to get them. On the other hand, I do enjoy a beer every now and then and it is convenient to walk down to the crappy old Silver Mini Mart to get an overpriced 6 pack of marginal brew.
And bars. It used to a great idea to purchase a house with a bar at the end of the street. Well, since I’ve lived here I’ve had that scenario with the Canabar but it’s just not the kind of bar i always pictured. I’ve been there and not been uncomfortable, the drinks are cheap and on wednesday and sunday the music is good but, not unlike the Kroger-Save-a-Lot scenario, I like better,nicer,prettier.
I don’t want anyone tearing down historic Broad Street Mansions, but I do like the idea of walking down the street and getting some fries and a frosty.
Does this make me a mixed-up fair weather urban snob? Maybe. Just like you I want whats best for the neighborhood and I want my kids to grow up here and I continue to think that when my 2 year old is 15, Long Street will be a much different street then it is now. I hope that throughout that time the people of the near East side continue to be happy, friendly, caring and concerned with more than just their historic homes.
I agree that the last thing OTE needs is another failed business. At first I thought that Save-a-Lot was building new but I was glad to see that their re-using the old Kroger/salvation army building even though it isn’t up to the street and hip.
Thanks for stopping by, see you on the near East message board.