INC NEWS - Off-East shops feel economic ups, downs (Duke Chronicle)

[John Schelp]

Off-East shops feel economic ups, downs
by Victoria Ward, Duke Chronicle, 7 Sept 2006

When Duke announced plans last March to open a Barnes
& Noble on the new Central Campus, Tom Campbell
worried that his landmark bookstore would soon become
just another page in the history books.

Campbell, co-owner of the Regulator Bookshop, and
local community members feared that the presence of
the mega-chain would force the closure of his store--a
staple on Ninth Street.

Despite his springtime woes, and trends of declining
business on Ninth Street, Campbell said business has
perked up during the last six to eight months.

Duke no longer plans to build a large-scale bookstore,
and the University is currently working with local
merchants and the city planning department in an
effort to improve the area.

"Duke wants to see Ninth Street succeed because we're
right on their doorstep," Campbell said.

Although the city has made efforts to revitalize the
area, Campbell said that both high rent and a weak
market for small enterprises contribute to the
difficulty of staying in business.

"I wouldn't want to start a new bookstore right now,"
he said.

Several businesses have closed on Ninth Street in
recent months, but signs for new merchants have
gradually popped up in their place.

In her 25 years as owner of Vaguely Reminiscent, a
store on Ninth Street, Carol Anderson has witnessed a
slew of both successful and failed business ventures.

Some anchor businesses--like the Regulator--have
thrived for years, while other vendors open and shut
their doors within several months, she said.

"It's kind of like life," she said. "Some people do
great and some don't."

Peter Wyman, Trinity '80, is now in the process of
opening Studio, an art gallery located next to
Bruegger's Bagels.

After living in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., for 27 years, he
settled on Ninth Street as the ideal venue for his
fourth store.

"Ninth Street is a cool little strip," he said. "I
don't think there have been enough cool businesses
there."

The owner of Books on Ninth moved to Munich, Germany,
to concentrate his attention on his other bookstore.

Blue Corn Cafe plans to expand into the empty venue.
Metro 8 Steakhouse will open in the space recently
vacated by the eatery Bacchus.

After nearly 80 years on Ninth Street, McDonalds Drug
Store closed its doors after its pharmacist died
earlier this year. Kerr Drugs sold out to another
company several years ago, but kept its sign up until
it closed recently.

John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham
Neighborhood Association, said the "lack of clarity"
surrounding the University's retail plans for Central
Campus has recently contributed to the market's
uncertainty for local businesses.

He has served as a very vocal critic of what he
perceives as a "retail cocoon" being formed on Duke's
campus, where vendors are able to avoid property
taxes.

The University's economic strength compromises its
relationship with the community and threatens
town-gown relations, Schelp said.

"These business districts are the living rooms of our
neighborhoods," he said. "If our business districts
are undermined, then our neighborhoods are
undermined."

Schelp said one way to bridge the gap is by expanding
the DukeCard availability for in-store purchases at
vendors on Ninth Street and other business
districts-similar to student dining programs at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North
Carolina State University.

Under the current policy, students can use their
DukeCards only to purchase food for tax-exempt
delivery from a limited range of vendors.

Duke could also solve a number of problems by reducing
the start-up costs for merchants and the 18 percent
that Duke profits from each Merchants-on-Points
purchase, he added.

"It would be good for Durham because it would have
more revenue, and it would be good for town-gown
relations because of increased interaction with
students leaving campus," Schelp said.

Some students said they were receptive to being able
to use food points at off-campus venues.

"This added option would allow students more variety
and more convenience, because food points could be
used in place of cash or credit," said sophomore
Joseph Lucco.

Although he said the $50 certificate each incoming
freshman received to use at local eateries was a "step
in the right direction," Schelp added that it will not
have the same impact on local commerce that changing
the DukeCard would.

Schelp and other local activists hope to continue to
help coordinate Duke's community efforts by meeting
with officials from the University.

"We can help Duke help itself become a better
neighborhood," Schelp said.