Utaaah,
Really enjoyed your article's this morning from the Examiner and the Enterprise. I noticed the same thing the other day with JC Penney. I was out West Jordon way and noticed a big new free standing, JC Penney store at that new shopping area off of Bangerter. I've also noticed the same kind of thing happening all over the Wasatch Front in the new generation shopping district's like The Meadows in Am. Fork. Anyone, who is interested in real-estate development should visit The Meadows. There are some really cool feature's there. I especially like the round-about's, and bridges over the wetland's. It's right off of I-15 at the first Am. Fork exit that you come to. Anyway, there are alot of freestanding stores like Kohl's,Sears,etc arranged in that development.
You know, I was really glad to see the Mervyn's store leave Crossroads. I know for a fact alot of people in Nordstrom management and also City Hall were very elated. I have nothing against a Mervyn's or a JC Penney. I just think they are more appropriate at a location like the suburbs, where large families etc. are shopping. I remember when a substantial amount of the Nordstrom businesss downtown came from out-of-state visitor's. In a place like the core of downtown Salt Lake or "the new and upcoming, shiek,(courtesy of people like Holding Oil and Mayor Godfrey) downtown Ogden", a more upscale establishment like Nordstrom,or Sak's is much more attractive to the tourist and convention industry.
Although, I would bet that as downtown Salt Lake densifies with working folk there will be more demand for stores like Mervyn's and JC Penney. I guess there's alot of talk about a Target in or around Gateway,which I think makes good sense.
Just some thought's, What do you think?
Thanks again for bringing us this great site,
Delts