The Willow Glen Resident

Blockbuster busts out on Lincoln Ave.

Video store owners worried about big-name competition

By Cecily Barnes

The rumors can finally be confirmed: Blockbuster is coming to Lincoln Avenue. The lease was finalized June 24, and the video store with the blue and yellow decor will move to the old Murison's space between Sharky's and the Garden Theater by October. This Blockbuster, however, will be slightly different than ones seen in strip malls and at busy intersections.

"They have a new concept, which is an urban downtown store which is smaller than their regular store," said Rick Shaffer, Blockbuster's Santa Clara County broker and vice president of BT Commercial Real Estate. "It will have a lot less candy and other ancillary items. [Stores are] designed to fit niche markets where they're not getting the coverage they should."

According to Shaffer, Blockbuster's marketing team noticed that not many residents of downtown Willow Glen traveled to the nearby Blockbuster on Meridian Avenue.

"There was a void over in the Lincoln and Willow area," Shaffer said. "There are some smaller video stores around there. Some people like the smaller ones, and some people like the larger ones."

But neighborhood video stores are convinced that once Blockbuster moves in, most everybody will prefer the larger store.

"If one of the bigger store comes, people will run there," said Derrick Wong, manager of K Rangoon Video on Lincoln. "The bigger stores have more tapes and more everything. If they come, smaller stores will be gone within four to five months."

Blockbuster is the latest in a train of chain stores that has decided downtown Willow Glen is a lucrative location to set up shop. In the past year, the Avenue has been courted and chosen by Manhattan Bagels, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Jamba Juice, Noah's Bagels, Petroglyph and now Blockbuster. While some residents fear the influx of chain stores may corrode the unique feel of downtown Willow Glen, the manager of the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association says the chain interest in Lincoln Avenue is a sign of health and growth.

"Blockbuster is obviously a big name and a big store, which means more recognition for the Avenue," said WGBPA manager Demetri Rizos. "A national store that locates to Lincoln Avenue is a plus because it shows that our Avenue is growing."

Nearby businesses react indifferently to news that Blockbuster will soon be here, except for the issue of parking. Aqui owner Dave O'Mara admits he's a little worried about parking, but says he believes property owner Michael Mul-Cahy will make available more parking if problems ensue. However, others on the Avenue aren't quite so assured.

"Murison's was just a mom-and-pop type store, and Blockbuster has probably five or six employees alone. And you know how video stores are on the weekend," Rizos said. "Hopefully, the tenants will work out some kind of an agreement."

According to Carol Hamilton of the city's Planning Department, Blockbuster is a retail store and therefore not required to provide any more parking than already exists behind the building. The video store will open with the existing amount of parking and a whole new look.

Property owner MulCahy said he plans to retrofit and redesign the exterior of the building, which has a shabby, older look than its neighbors at Aqui.

"We're going to be making some modifications to the exterior as well as the interior," MulCahy said. "It's not going to be severe because I love the combination of brick and stucco, but we'll be doing some color treatment."

MulCahy is thrilled to have Blockbuster as a tenant, because it means a stable tenant and another high-profile business for the Avenue. "I think it's a great vote of confidence that Willow Glen is a viable business opportunity not only for our local business owners but for our national business owners," MulCahy said.

[ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ]