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Quality Consignment Fashions for Men and Women
<br />The Market Place • 2900 Rice Street °;
<br />Little Canada, Minnesota 55113. °•..,.�;
<br />482 -0399 .. -.
<br />Little Canada City Council.
<br />515 E. Little Canada Road
<br />Little Canada, 1414 55117
<br />Dear Council Members,
<br />Thank you for allowing me time to express the views of the Marketplace merchants concerning the pool hall
<br />proposed for the old Karate Center space at the Marketplace. I felt that both sides were given ample opportunity to
<br />state their cases, and that both were treated considerately and fairly. That this is often not so in city
<br />government, I'm sure you're as aware as I am; this was my first experience with the Little Canada Council, and I
<br />appreciate your manner of doing business.
<br />I would just like to reiterate the major reasons that the Marketplace Merchants are opposed to a pool hall in
<br />the center. We contend that a pool hall, however well- managed, is an inappropriate business for a retail shopping
<br />center, beca.rse;
<br />a. The "traffic" that it brings in is not the "traffic" that would increase business for the center's other
<br />merchants, The teenagers who frequent a pool hall are NOT the ones who buy groceries, baby furniture, women's and
<br />children's clothing, wort( shoes, eyeglasses, craft and pet supplies, bridal gowns, jewelry and gifts, manicures and
<br />suntans, and the myriad of items that Snyder's and Dueber's supply. They MIGHT patronize Radio Shack, the Video
<br />store, Champion Auto or Nancy's cafe, but not at the same time that they come to play pool, so that the "traffic" so
<br />highly touted by the pool hall proprietor would most likely be of use to no one but himself.
<br />b. The presence of an amusement center -- be it Video Games or Pool Hall (and this owner intends to include
<br />both) -- by the very clientele it attracts, is likely to increase problems with vandalism and loitering in the rest
<br />of the center. No matter how well - policed hi-s establishment, the owner of such an amusement facility has no control
<br />over what his customers do, or how they behave, once they leave his premises. Our experience at Rice Creek Center
<br />was that we had to hire a security guard to control the kids that hung around the vecinity of the Video Game Room --
<br />and most of those who hung around were 'the ones who had been kicked out of the game, room for their foul language or •
<br />rowdy behavior!
<br />c. The fact that the Marketplace is an enclosed mall, rather than a strip center, makes it even more difficult
<br />to contain discipline problems, because when the weather is bad (which it is at least 6 months of the year!), kids
<br />will remain inside the mall in preference to going outside or going home. This creates difficulties for the
<br />customers of other stores, who are often intimidated by having to pass through large aggregations of lounging
<br />teenagers, in order to get to the stores they wish to patronize. Again, from my experience at Rice Creek Center, I
<br />found that 1 was losing customers, because they didn't want to be hassled.
<br />I intend to discuss this with the present owners of the center, but I have little hope of getting a hearing.
<br />Since they have heretofore been singularly deaf to the needs and preferences of their tenants, I see little reason
<br />for them to begin listening now. I assume that their major objective is to rent the space, let the tenant be who it
<br />may. I might have better luck with the prospective owner, who seems amenable to his (possible) future tenants'
<br />opinions, and I intend to both call him, and send him a copy of this letter.
<br />Thanks again for being responsive to the needs of concerned business people. Please do call me when this matter
<br />is again on the docket. My business phone is 482 -0399; my home number is 488 -4167, and I have no objection to being
<br />called there in the evening.
<br />Sincerely,
<br />Phyllis A. Kedl V
<br />Owner, The Wardrobe
<br />President, Marketplace Merchants' Assn.
<br />1 f
<br />[liggrag
<br />OCT I0 1986
<br />CITY OF
<br />LITTt E CANADA
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