Downtown Tempe has long been home to creative and interesting urban spaces. Now that tradition continues with Vic Linoff & Stu Siefer's plans for the alley way behind Mill Avenue. Thank goodness for these creative types who keep reinventing our much loved Mill Avenue district! Full story below:
Mill landowners creating euro-style alley
by Dianna M. Náñez - Aug. 8, 2008
The Arizona Republic
A wave of luxury condos sprouting in downtown Tempe has some wondering if Mill Avenue is trading the last of its bohemian charm for a cookie-cutter Scottsdale setting.
Some say bringing an upscale feel to Mill is key to ensuring that residents who can afford to live in pricey condos are getting the type of shopping they want.
But one longtime Mill Avenue landowner said it is possible to market to both the cash-wealthy and pennywise.
Vic Linoff plans to renovate the buildings and area in the alley behind his store near Fifth Street and Mill. And he is partnering with architect Stu Siefer, who owns the building next to Linoff, to create a euro-style alley with a cobblestone-like street, pedestrian lights and space for more than a dozen mini-shops.
Linoff said he hopes to see a mix of businesses fill his and Seifer's alley.
"A bakery, an artist, a jewelry store, and lots of book stores," he said, laughing. "Our goal is to provide incubator spaces at a much-discounted rate. And if you're successful you can move out onto Mill."
When Linoff first came to Mill 35 years ago, he fell in love with the budding area and he could afford to start his dream on the Tempe street. But now rents are averaging $30 a square foot, a price few first-time entrepreneurs can afford, he said.
"Even in this economy the rent on Mill is inflated," he said.
Linoff sold books, antiques and other quirky items at Those Were the Days at 516 S. Mill.
Earlier this year, Linoff decided to close his store. The going-out-of-business sign in his window was a shock to those who had come to rely on Linoff for eclectic treasures.
Cindy Steifel has made regular trips from her Mesa home to the Tempe shop since she began shopping there in 1986.
"I can't say I cried, but I did tear up," she said, after visiting the store a few months ago and purchasing nine hardcover books about phones and women's studies.
Steifel is an example of the kind of customer that Linoff says will drive to downtown Tempe from across the Valley, if what they are looking for is only found on Mill.
He said his business is still strong enough to have stayed open but it is time to move on. See, Linoff loves Mill, and he sees the area's businesses struggling.
He hopes his new path will result in a lifeline for Mill Avenue's independent entrepreneurs who, like he did more than three decades ago, have dreams of building a successful small business.
"This city has been good to me and I want to give back," he said. "The downtown is probably in its most depressed state it's been in the last 35 years I've been here. So many stores have closed."
While the tough economy has hit Mill, and Tempe Marketplace has siphoned some shoppers, Linoff said he thinks downtown's troubles are more about a lack of consistency.
"I think one of the real issues that Mill is facing today is that it may not have a real focused vision for its future," he said.
Some business owners have been waiting for condo owners to flood Mill. But Linoff thinks the answer for Mill is acknowledging that while there is room for some chain stores, the bulk of Mill has to offer something you cannot get elsewhere.
"It's about exporting creativity . . . quality, and not necessarily elite quality. We can do that on Mill," he said. "There's been ample demonstration that Mill cannot be Tempe's Marketplace or mall. The Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch closed. Think about it. If you want to want to go one of those stores, you'll go to the mall."
José Ramirez, a realty consultant with Tempe-based Urban Realty and Development, said he thinks the kind of independent stores Linoff is promoting are a vital part of keeping downtown alive.
"It's part of the whole urban experience," he said. "If you have all the nationals go down there, it's going to be like anything else. We need to keep it unique."
