2009 Activities
King Street Retail Analysis, Prepared by Bob Gibbs, June 2009
June 23, 2009: King Street Retail Analysis Workshop for Business Owners
Tuesday, June 23, 8am-10am, City Hall, Room 2000
Bob GibbsGibbs Planning Group, Inc. will demonstrate how the best practices of modern merchandising and store planning can be applied to small to medium sized stores and restaurants to increase customer satisfaction and to improve sales. The 2-hour program will focus on current consumer psychographics, shopper trends and the surprising changes in tourist preferences. The workshop will also focus on signage, lighting, fixtures, seating, shopper behavior, storefronts, and marketing techniques. Old Town's market demographics and GPG's recent King Street Retail Analysis will also be reviewed during the workshop. Mr. Gibbs will share retail industry secrets for urban planning and design. The workshop will also include a problem-solving segment, where Old Town's business owners will be encouraged to discuss specific business and store planning issues. Mr. Gibbs is a noted consultant for numerous historic cities, national retailers and developers including: Charleston, The Limited, and the Walt Disney Company. Registration is required for this event. Please contact Valerie Peterson at (703) 746-3858.
June 22, 2009: Joint City Council/Planning Commission work session on King Street Retail Analysis
Bob Gibbs, Gibbs Planning Group, will present the findings of his King Street Retail Analysis. The public is invited to attend.
March 19, 2009 King Street Retail Forum
The event included a presentation by Bob Gibbs of Gibbs Planning Group Inc. to review the initial findings of his King Street Retail Study. Bob Gibbs is an expert in urban retail, particularly redevelopment and revitalization efforts in small downtowns and historic districts, working recently in downtown Charleston. He has experience identifying successful retail mixes, the synergy that can be created between chains and local small businesses, and is knowledgeable on retail industry norms for attracting patrons, such as window displays, marketing, hours of operation, and other business improvement strategies. Bob Gibbs's presentation is available here: Bob Gibbs Presentation (This is a 12 megabyte PDF file and may take time to download to your computer. The new window may remain blank until the entire file has downloaded.)
King Street Outdoor Dining
King Street Outdoor Dining Design Guidelines, January 2006
King Street Outdoor Dining Ordinance (revised March 2008)
King Street Outdoor Dining Application and Checklist
2005 King Street Retail Strategy
Background
A strategic planning effort for King Street's "historic retail district" from the King Street Metro Station to the waterfront examined ways to keep this vital retail sector competitive in the face of burgeoning regional competition. The City's Department of Planning and Zoning - working with an advisory committee composed of local businesses, citizens, and representatives from business and civic groups - identified potential opportunities, evaluated market constraints, and recommended actions to maintain King Street as a vibrant retail center. The goal has been to ensure that King Street continues to function as Alexandria's "Main Street" for residents and visitors alike.
The Retail Strategy sought to build upon the many positive attributes of this important historic street/district and to recommend programs that will allow and encourage the retail district to meet the needs of its patrons in a lively and desirable urban environment. The characteristics of the King Street retail area are quite diverse, including the office-oriented Metro station area, the independent retailers serving primarily Alexandria residents, and the tourist-oriented waterfront area. The length and diversity of the street as a retail corridor necessitated a broad approach to the planning process and resulted in a comprehensive set of recommendations ranging from land use and zoning to parking, transit and urban design. Also included in the Strategy were recommendations on how to most effectively implement the suggested actions.
Meetings, Presentations, and Documents Archive
For questions regarding the King Street Retail Strategy, please contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703.746-3858, or send an e-mail to P&Z Feedback.
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