Havana Street businesses report steady openings, tight vacancies; BID staff note small sales dip and summer promotions

A district staff member gave a wide-ranging update on Havana Street business activity and promotions during the June 11 Planning and Economic Development Policy Committee meeting.

The staff member said the business district is "still 96% least" and that openings frequently follow closures. She listed several redevelopments on Havana Street, including work at Champs Ford, Mazda and Hyundai and a Stevenson Toyota redevelopment by the Ashbury Group. She also noted new and incoming restaurants and small businesses, and named specific openings: an Argentinian/Uruguayan restaurant (soft opening with grand opening planned), a Hong Kong cuisine restaurant taking over a space recently vacated by another operator, and an upcoming Dave's Hot Chicken at the Cartons on Havana.

The staff member said district promotions include night markets on the last Saturday of each month at 2710 South Havana Street (Havana and Yale) from 6 to 10 p.m., and that marketing efforts include sponsored segments on 9News to boost exposure for small businesses. "We've actually been hosting segments on live television to also give a lot of our stakeholders that FaceTime," she said.

She told the committee the district's first-quarter sales were slightly down compared with the same period last year: "Total sales were 8.4. Last year, we're 8.6," (units not specified in the presentation). She said retail and restaurants reported a pickup in activity during the month of May after a slow first quarter and that vacancy pressure is concentrated in a few larger spaces; she cited an approximately 8,000‑square‑foot vacancy at a long‑closed property (Gabby’s) as particularly difficult to retenant.

Council members and staff discussed redevelopment at auto dealerships along the Motor Mile and noted that construction at several major dealerships could temporarily affect sales volume at Havana. Staff said quarterly retail and sales‑tax reports will be revamped and that presentations on ICSC (retail conference recap), midyear sales‑tax data and a quarterly development review are scheduled for upcoming PED meetings.

Council Member Bergen asked the district staff member to provide a monthly email listing any businesses showing signs of serious financial distress so the council can track and offer support. The staff member agreed to provide regular updates and to return with a shorter, focused report at a future PED meeting.