The Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee usually meets the third Wednesday of every month, but because of the Thanksgiving holiday, its November meeting was rescheduled to Wednesday, Nov. 28.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Mid-County Regional Services Center at 2424 Reedie Drive.
We are very interested in a recap of the meeting after it takes place since the meeting summary is not available on the County site for several months after the meeting takes place.
Along with the one at the former auto parts store near University and Grandview, we have at least 4 (and probably more) dedicated check-cashing places right around the Triangle. This does not include markets or laundromats that also offer these services. On the other hand, it looks like a French bakery will take the spot of Asian Foods which was in the strip on University with Max's and CVS.
Maybe, as you suggest, downtown Wheaton simply cannot support a Baskin-Robbins, Barnaby's pub, a bicycle store, Dusit Thai or Asian Foods, an Indonesian restaurant, or a children's gymnastics center (after a workers' center is placed next door). But what potential homeowner, who may not know much about the area, wants to move into a place that supports 5-10 check-cashing places within 2 blocks, especially when many weren't here just a few years ago? If you were buying now, would you move into the area around the Safeway? As of now, County-assisted redevelopment plans consist, essentially, of one future government building. What the area does have is several recent check cashing businesses, large laundromats that used to be restaurants, tiendas, and some interesting businesses that bring to Wheaton people who would otherwise never come (like the fish store, Little Bitts, and the dance center). We love Moby Dick but not many people from outside Wheaton go there. And the strip malls around Georgia have many vacancies, though the county liquor store and the beer shops seem to do well. Obviously anyone can open a business. That's not the point. The types of businesses being opened and sustained can and should be something for residents and potential residents to consider.
Commentous - I agree with much of what you say, but once Safeway opens and MNCPPC comes to Wheaton, retail space around these developments will become more desirable and more expensive. As a result, you'll probably see the types of businesses you would like to see. The government can not dictate the types of businesses that can open in any area (other than through zoning laws) and as much as some people don't like the idea of a government building in the heart of Wheaton, it is, in my opinion, the quickest way to get things moving.
Also, on its face, one building may seem to be the quickest way to "get things moving," but I don't know how long it takes for County government to approve the design of and construct a large office building. Would you have information on how long this process usually takes from the point we're at in Wheaton right now? A company with a substantial investment would seem to want to move just as quickly as government officials. Just my opinion.