An inorganic addition

There is a proposal currently making its way through the City of Durango approval process to redevelop the Durango Mall. The proposal to redevelop the long-neglected, decaying property includes: razing about two-thirds of the current mall; creating 230-270 “market rate” apartments and several out-lot buildings; and building a 25,000-square-foot “national organic grocer” at the center. This “national organic grocer,” after process of elimination, is most likely Amazon’s Whole Foods. 

The current proposal is by Illinois-based Kensington Development Group, who has long standing connections to not only Whole Foods but other suburban hell retailers such as Chipotle, Noodles & Co., Panda Express, Chick-fil-A and others. The development would require the City’s Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to create a tax incremental financing district (TIF) encompassing most of the area between Highway 3 and S. Camino del Rio, across from Bodo. Tax revenue from this TIF district for the next 25 years would be rerouted to Kensington to help pay for infrastructure improvements for which developers would normally be on the hook.

The proposed South Durango URA is concerning for a number of reasons. 

For starters, 25,000 square feet for a new natural/organic grocer seems majorly excessive. Durango already has three natural/organic grocers (two of which are home-grown small businesses with the other being a national brand that is at least local to Colorado). Furthermore, subsidizing a national chain (Whole Foods) in a taxpayer-funded, redundant space that will dwarf its competition seems like an absolute abuse of taxpayer dollars.

The motivations behind creating TIF districts are to spur new streams of tax revenue while redeveloping “blighted” areas that normally wouldn’t exist otherwise. Everyone agrees the state that the current mall owners have allowed their property to deteriorate into is tragic and an absolute black eye on our wonderful community, and that something needs to be done. However, how do we know that much of the revenue provided by this “national organic grocer” (Whole Foods) and its out-buildings full of other redundant national chains will be nothing more than a cannibalization of current tax revenue already spent at our existing local grocery stores, restaurants and businesses?

The design proposed is a perfect example of car-centric, big box, “suburban hell” strip mall design. Many residents of Durango stay or came here to avoid exactly this, a design strategy that has absolutely decimated the beauty of Front Range cities as well as cities across the country. Not to mention that there is big box retail already situated directly south of this proposal.

The design submitted to the city calls for 230-270 residential units and 382 parking spots. With housing being a major concern throughout our community, instead of retail space, why not build more housing? Five hundred, 750 or more housing units! Something that will actually make a positive change in our community. 

It seems like this is a taxpayer-funded subsidy for a national development firm and their deep-pocketed allies aiming to capture market share in an established community as a means to keep their shareholders happy for another few quarters. It is also subsidizing a payday for mall owners who have left their property to rot, not giving a care in the world to the needs of our local community or anything but the contents of their bank accounts.

Something absolutely needs to be done to this neglected property, but it should be done in a thoughtful, locally focused way, not by bringing in national chains to undercut our long-standing local businesses. Before the City is a decision that will shape the character of our community for generations to come, which way will Durango go?

– Jacob Lienhardt, communications director for Durango Natural Foods, Durango