Indiana paper peeks at downtown resurgence

Indiana's South Bend Tribune discussed how an increase in shopping amenities hasn't kept pace with downtown's growing residential base.

Excerpt:

A Brookings Institution market study indicates there will be demand for another 1,700 residential units through 2011, adding to the 6,500 people the Downtown Detroit Partnership says already live downtown.

But retail hasn't kept pace, says partnership President Ann Lang.

Studies done by the Brookings Institution and others suggest that 125,000 square feet of grocery space is needed to serve downtown residents, while 389,000 square feet is needed for shops that sell clothing, furniture, appliances, and building and garden equipment.

But finding adequate parking and available land for full-service groceries and stores would be difficult. Lang says it would be easier to find available land for specialty grocery outlets like Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe's.

Read the entire article here.