Big-Box lessons from Bozeman...

During a recent stop in Bozeman on the way to Billings, MT last week it became clear that not all big-box stores are created equal.  In Spokane and surrounding environs, the typical blah cinder-block wonder under an acre of roof is where we've set the bar.  It's no wonder that the Home Depots in North Spokane and East Sprague in the City of Spokane Valley look remarkably similar.  Set low expectations (all of North Division, the 'Y', and East Sprague), and you'll rarely exceed them. 

According to Bob Gibbs of Gibbs Planning Group, when a big-box developer comes to town they generally have four designs (A,B,C, and D) ranging from unique (or sensitive to local character) to Anywhere, USA, and they are ready to build one of those.  Which one gets built depends heavily upon how much push back the company receives from local residents and officials about design and it's importance.  Retail Consultant Bob Gibbs says as much:  “Cities need to have high design standards for signage, lighting and building design and be willing to enforce those standards,” says Gibbs."

Below are some images of competing Lowes and Home Depot stores.  These two are literally across the street (a street by the way that is unsafe for anyone not inside a car) from each other and look remarkably different from any of the milktoast designs we've received for big-box stores in our area.  Someone in Bozeman has apparently figured this out. Big Box retailers want to grow, to open more stores, to capture more sales.  It's a competitive world out there and some design/material costs up front are likely a drop in the bucket when they've settled on a location they know will be profitable. 

So the moral to the story is that the Big-Box stores will listen about design; we just need to speak up, and raise the bar.

Comments

[Jim]

Great research. The problem in our community is that we have lost the bar to be raised. Just drive down sprague or I-90 and feast your eyes on abandoned box stores, replaced by newer versions and don't forget the wondrous wrecking yard near the freeway for all of our guests to admire and form their opinion of our region. As I have repeated in previous posts and agee with this column,we have to have standards in place, create newer more stringent ones and provide ENFORCEMENT, otherwise we are stuck with we we've had here forever, uncitely development and property owners with urban blight, waitng for the price of their dirt to increase so that they finally sell out to a developer. Good work Bozeman, shame on us!

[MK]

I don't really like the Bozeman style buildings. They look like a cheesy attempt at "small town charm". Like Home Depot is a Mom and Pop shop or something.

East Sprague is nasty but it wouldn't have mattered if that old vacant Home Base looked like the Bozeman stores - it would still be empty.

There are many reasons that stretch of Sprague looks so bad and it's one of the main issues being dealt with by the Spokane Valley City council (who by the way loves to talk to any "new urban" planners they can get their hands on).

We'll see how it turns out but they've got all the buzz words right so far.

[Roger Grimes, PE]

While Bozeman may appear to be an example of the ideal of "raising the bar" it may also be an example of how to discourage developers, especially franchise operators who rely on a recognized appearance. Bozeman has a Design Review Board made up of local architects. While there are planning regulations for materials and appearance the DRB has the mandate to recommend planning approval or disapproval based simply on their opinion of the design's asthetics. They do not offer an action item list of acceptable corrections to the design, only "bring it back when you get it right". While sitting through this process for a hotel project I witnessed an architect present his sixth iteration, having had to go back and forth for six months, just for a franchise restaurant. The final accepted design looked nothing like the brand, and looked nothing like what the owner wanted. In "raising the bar" there needs to be consideration that the bar may be raised higher than the business owners are willing to jump!