editorials

Sam Grabarski sounded an important alarm when he released highlights of a study on the future of retailing in downtown Minneapolis. But because the early buzz on that announcement focused on whether cars should be allowed on Nicollet Mall, we're not sure anyone paid attention to the more important findings.

Grabarski, the president and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, believes the future of retail in the city's center will be determined in the next few years. Without a concerted effort by city officials and business leaders, Minneapolis stands a good chance of seeing more retailers give up on downtown.

That's why the Downtown Council commissioned the study by the consulting firm Economics Research Associates, which found a unique mix of assets and challenges in Minneapolis.

The assets include a strong mix of anchor stores such as Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Target; successful independent operators such as Hubert White, and a solid population of downtown employees and visitors. Among the challenges are skyways and retail centers that take people away from street-level retail; transit-only traffic on Nicollet Mall, and a "fledgling'' nearby residential population to drive retail spending.

For the past 10 years, the Downtown Council has focused on downtown infrastructure, from promoting the Twins stadium project to working on expansion of the Convention Center and the development of light rail. Now the business organization is going back to one of its core purposes -- supporting a healthy retail environment downtown. The timing is right.

Borders and Polo have left downtown in recent years, and Grabarski fears that other national chains will do the same in the face of sales that typically lag sister stores in other locations.

There are some hopeful signs. Although Best Buy apparently will not pursue plans to open a store as part of a mixed-use development on Hennepin and Washington Avenues, the company continues to look at downtown sites. The hometown retailer would make an excellent addition.

The consultant's suggestion that cars return to Nicollet Mall is inconsistent with the city's transportation goals, which focus on bus, bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Express buses should be off the mall in 2009, making way for local buses and more hours for bicycle traffic. Forget the cars for now, although creative work needs to be done to increase shopping activity on the mall.

But the study also made a number of recommendations that bring much-needed focus to downtown retail promotion efforts. A key emphasis is on recruiting a mix of national chains and independent stores and restaurants. Another recommendation calls for the continued development of Hennepin Avenue as the "cultural spine'' of downtown, drawing on the activity generated by its theaters and the nearby Target Center.

Public and private interests can work together to more effectively promote healthy retail in the heart of Minneapolis. Grabarski and the Downtown Council have done some of the necessary work to jump-start the effort.