How downtown Arlington businesses survived through the pandemic
The pandemic has not put a stop to growth in Arlington’s up-and-coming downtown, according to business owners and leaders in the area.
A handful of outlets closed or changed the way they do business as the pandemic disrupted business as usual, according to Maggie Campbell, president and CEO of Downtown Arlington Management Corporation. For the most part, however, downtown Arlington has had better luck than downtown Fort Worth, where a third of storefronts had closed in July by Star-Telegram estimates.
Arlington’s downtown, which has undergone decades of reinvention by city leaders, groups like Campbell’s and businesses interested in investing, may have escaped a similar fate due to its lack of traditional office space, Campbell said. She also credited the area’s business retention to community support of local shops.
“I think, all in all, we fared better because we are a little bit of a different kind of downtown,” Campbell said.
Closures during the pandemic include Panera Bread in UT Arlington’s College Park Center and the Dollar Tree at 500 E. Abram St.
Urban Alchemy at 403 E. Main St. recently transitioned from a coffee shop to event space after business thinned. Its owner, Tony Rutigliano, attributed the decline to the pandemic, plus more competition from spots close by, including Inclusion Coffee and Salter Bros. Coffee Roasters.
“I love that because I’m a big believer in downtown and excited about what the future holds,” said Rutigliano, who is a past Downtown Arlington Management Corporation president. “Currently, I don’t think downtown Arlington can support that many coffee shops, so we were looking at just how does our business sustain itself over the long term?”
Rutigliano said he has not given up on reintroducing Urban Alchemy’s coffee shop element to the city. For now, however, his shop has had steady business as a venue space.
The pandemic has not stopped new businesses from seeking out retail space around the heart of downtown. Georgie Zang, a real estate agent for first-floor retail space at Park Place apartments, said her firm has received letters of intention from business owners looking to rent in nearly all of the units.
“We actually have more requests for space than we have rental space available,” Zang said.
A couple of businesses have expanded their services or spaces during the pandemic. Hershey’s Palace at 513 E. Abram St. gained a seating area and performance space for local acts after starting as a takeout-only restaurant.
Brandon Hurtado of Hurtado Barbecue is opening a bar and patio next to his restaurant at 205 E. Front St. Hurtado plans to open Hayter’s Bar and Lounge — a nod to Andrew Hayter, considered the “father of Arlington” — in the next couple of months.
Hurtado said the area has grown rapidly, to the point where he is able to knock out most of his errands or entertainment needs in the area.
“These are all things that you used to have to go to Fort Worth or Dallas to do, and now you don’t have to do that anymore,” he said.
Revitalization efforts
Downtown Arlington lost traction during the city’s post-World War II industrial boom. Interstate traffic from Interstates 30 and 20 redirected traffic that went through Division Street — then U.S. 80 — away from downtown. Businesses followed suit.
“Most of the commerce went out along the interstates, and our downtown was kind of left behind,” Campbell said.
Leaders refocused attention on downtown in the later 20th century, as consumers rediscovered urban centers, according to Downtown Arlington Management Corporation’s website. A couple long-term projects, including a rebuild of Abram Street, new downtown library and apartment homes, have wrapped up in the last couple of years.
101 Center, an apartment complex near the intersection of Center and Abram Street, is poised to gain a natural grocery store, which some council members have said will benefit nearby students and residents.
Downtown is closer than it’s ever been to being the center point between UTA and the city’s entertainment district — a midpoint that Campbell and others have envisioned as the destination for locals.
“We have to be a place for Arlingtonites first,” Campbell said.
Luke Brewer, who opened Union Worx Coworking in 2018 with his wife, Lauren, said the energy around downtown drove them to the space next to Legal Draft Beer Company, Cane Rosso and Cartel Taco Bar. Brewer credited the momentum and community investment to business retention.
“In this part of Arlington, people have wanted this for a long time, so they wanted to be supportive,” Brewer said.
Priorities
The pandemic has challenged downtowns across the United States to adapt to new consumer habits. Jeff Levine, a lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s urban planning department, said leaders should consider building more public spaces and investing in streets.
“I think there’s a lot of concern that the pandemic would be the death of downtown,” Levine said. “Actually, I think what we learned is that because downtowns have gone through many cycles in the past and the buildings are designed to be resilient and reusable, they’re actually in a pretty good position to adapt over time to changes in the market.”
Moving forward, Campbell and her corporation plan to work with the city on improving pedestrian safety, including lighting and safe passage over the Union Pacific rail line that cuts through downtown. Voters in 2018 approved a bond package that includes $7 million for a downtown pedestrian crossing. The project’s design phase is scheduled to start this year, according to a city spokesperson.
Another room for improvement? Downtown Arlington could stand to attract more office workers, Campbell said.
“We cannot keep bringing in food and beverage businesses and not keep also bringing in residents and workers to support those businesses,” she said.
