Sanford prepares for 1-2 inches of snow, ice

WHY CAN’T WE GET TARGET?
–Bob Bridwell
The other night my wife Karen and I once again decided to eat out and ventured to our favorite Mexican restaurant. The ritual of making a last-minute decision to eat outside our kitchen has become more frequent since we both retired ten years ago. Like many retirees we find ourselves busier than when we were working. With the chosen variety of church, civic and family endeavors we stay constantly in motion. Don’t take this wrong because we love our local establishments that see us often but we began talking about how we wished there was more variety in our beloved Sanford community. This town is blessed with excellent diners, an abundance of fast food, an array of Italian and a plethora of Mexican. Downtown now has a medley of coffee shops, food and music, breweries even a nice sushi place. Yet, some things are missing. I’d personally love a few additional quality seafood restaurants—please give me some oysters on the half shell! I’d try back flips for a Panera Bread.
And it’s not just food. Retail, in general, is pretty limited. I was looking for a pair of men’s worsted wool dress slacks before Christmas, the kind that are unhemmed and hanging on sweeping racks. It ain’t here. Since Covid we developed an appreciation for items in bulk. We have to drive thirty-five minutes to BJ’s (or any membership club) to buy toilet paper, paper towels and our favorite soda.
That’s not to say Sanford is a retail desert devoid of shopping opportunity. If you want tires, mattresses, dollar stores, oil changers, vape shops—we’re covered, maybe smothered. We do have a Belk’s, but it more closely resembles Big Lots. Oh, I’m sorry. We’re losing Big Lots. Our only movie theater is hanging by a thread and bowling alleys, roller rinks are a distant memory.
For all my working life I worked as a city planner and an urban economic specialist. When I first came to Sanford in the early 2000’s I had a woman approach me after a civic club speech and tell me she’d give me her first born son if I brought in a Target. Of course, her first born son was standing next to her and…But I digress.
Part of my career included working for a large commercial bank, and I was responsible for finding new branch sites. I did that by building market and site selection criteria which included a lot of socio-economic factors (population, housing types and cost, income, income levels, education). These are all the things a business would like to know before investing in a new market or finding a site. Most retailers use such modeling that fits their market interest. Banks use modeling, as do restaurants, big box stores, grocery chains. Everybody. Business have things to sell and want match them with markets that will buy.
When I first came to Sanford it was with the understanding that the city was going to grow quickly at some point in the near future, like Cary, like Apex, like Holly Springs. It’s taken a little longer than expected but it’s now here. All you have to do is ride around town and you know. You can see it: the construction, the new houses, the traffic. You know something is real when people complain about the new houses, the traffic, the people from someplace else. Listen to what’s being said at city council and county commissioner meetings. Letters to the editor often feature the “why are we allowing all this growth?”
The point is if we want to start seeing the benefits of a growing community it doesn’t just happen. There’s an old axiom that says, “if you want things to turn out right, you have to manage it.” And the best way I can think to attract an array of retail opportunities is to look at what you’ve got, decide what you need, and figure out a way to get it. That includes marketing the Sanford community much like the retailer tries to market to us. It’s time for SAGA to initiate a concerted retail strategy (with City Council approval, even public input), construct the business and economic argument, and campaign the market. Such an effort needs priorities that have development positive development consequences such. We have areas that are food deprived (east Sanford). West of US 1 where considerable growth is taking place is underserved in almost every category. The old Riverburch Shopping complex is deteriorating and largely abandoned group of buildings quickly becoming an eyesore. (I don’t know where General Womack gets his information but we could use some public/private incentives to get this addressed).
All communities have competing needs and interests, We desperately need affordable housing, educational investments, enhancements to health care (have we outgrown our hospital?), substantially more open space and recreation to name a few. But needs are not mutually exclusive just resources and energy to address them. That’s where the work begins.
I love this town and am proud of what it is and what it can be. I worked here for many years and know there are many competing interests and needs, I for one would like to see the greenway that I worked hare on completed. But I know what makes a city attractive, competitive and thriving. And we really need to pay attention to our retail.
–Robert Bridwell, AICP
January 10, 2025