With several vacant store fronts, Carlmont Shopping Center is looking for some new tenants.
Tell us in the poll, or in the comment section, what type of business you think should move in.
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Sad that so many focus on businesses already served (or overserved) here...if an existing business isn't working well for you, talk or drop a note to the owner. Surprising how well that works. :>) Michael
How about Lorenzo's moves across the street and Subway goes? That way we get a great deli. According to my daughter : "Lorenzo's rocks". As to the sports bar... I think the beauty supply store (or is it an optometrist or is it both) can move to one of the vacant spots. Then Village Host can go to make room for a sports bar that takes up the entire outer building.
The other thing I have noticed is the underutilization of space in that shopping area. I live near "downtown" Belmont but hell will freeze over before "downtown" will ever develop. So I am resigned to the idea that CS center should be our downtown - but we need more stores and some sort of parking structures. The entire area running behind the store area could have more stores. Also the area to the south of Lunardis could be developed (or perhaps the nursery could move over there and stores could replace the nursery. A shopping area along the creek could be a wonderful - a minature Ketchikan river district without fish.
For some reason, Carlmont feels like a smaller version of Town & Country in Palo Alto to me. With that in mind, what I like there is Day One (we need one here!!), the local bookstore with great kids' books, and Sur la Table. As cool as the art stores, paper shops, and consignment shops might be, I've never bought those items (a little too expensive or luxurious). Perhaps a craft shop would be a fit here; a small Michael's? Any chance Devils Canyon could move in too?
It is clear many people would lke outdoor eating space. As Shalizaar and Cafe Mossant were going through the planning process both wanted to offer patrons with outdoor eating space. Essentially both of the requests were rejected by the Belmont Planning Commission - the way they did that was by imposing so many stupid requirements that the owners simply gave up. I understand the planning process has improved (I was disgusted by the process and stopped watching) but at least in the past the focus was on what applicants Could Not do rather than the focus of what applicants Could do. Our town has been handicapped by the narrow minded and overly restrictive planning process.
carlmont shopping center has very high rent, which is why Dolly's Treasures had to move. seeing that the shopping center is really our only downtown, it's painful to see those spots empty. i wonder if the council should or could do any negotiating with the owner so it can encourage businesses, esp. small businesses to move in. and i like village host a lot and it seems well supported when i go there, i don't think i'm the only one. i would hate to see it close!