ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 3, 1997 TAG: 9704030015
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER THE ROANOKE TIMES
It sounded good, but the market for turning downtown Pulaski into an outlet center just doesn't exist, a consultant has found.
A consultant who made a study of Pulaski as a possible downtown shopping outlet location has recommended against the idea at this time.
Consultants from Todreas Hanley, a firm based in Boston, traveled from Roanoke to Wytheville as tourists and found no cohesiveness among the localities to support a factory outlet anywhere along that section of Interstate 81.
The firm had been hired last year by the town's Economic Development Board to see if Pulaski might take advantage of the growing trend toward downtown malls. But Economic Development Director Barry Matherly told the board Wednesday that Todreas Hanley found the New River Valley tourist population insufficient to support an outlet.
The consultant also found that downtown Pulaski would have a disadvantage from not being directly on a major highway.
Other factors included the number of outlet centers peaking, so developers and tenants are considering only the best locations, and the existence of the Factory Merchants Outlet Mall at Fort Chiswell just across the Pulaski County line in Wythe County. That outlet center has already garnered the most successful outlet tenants and their sales are not high enough to expand in the same market area, the consultants said.
The consultants said downtown Pulaski "needs to become a lively regional hub with several local stores, restaurants, cafes, theaters, arts and entertainment. Part of the infrastructure exists but, to bring it to fruition, more of everything is required." It recommended making Peak Creek, which winds through the town, a focus of nature-oriented studies and tours, river-walk cafes, street musicians, book stalls and local arts and crafts festivals.
It suggested targeting Roanoke as a market, organizing cooperative events with Roanoke's special-interest groups, and attracting at least one major facility with space for regional meetings.
Matherly said the study was worthwhile in providing some good data from experts and showing that the board need not waste time on this idea now when it has so many other developments going on.
Sybil Atkinson, board chairwoman, said it helped Pulaski avoid a potential pitfall "and not jump off the deep end before we have our facts and figures."
Other facts and figures have been provided by students from Virginia Tech who recently completed a study of Pulaski's downtown.
A lack of uniform and convenient shop hours by downtown shops was among the major drawbacks cited by shoppers.
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