EDITORIAL: Give preference to veteran stores

In pushing out longtime, successful retail, officials are providing a disservice to the community. In pushing out longtime, successful retail, officials are providing a disservice to the community. When it comes to retail, University officials seem to be putting all their eggs in one basket. Given the recent problems the University has had attracting retail to even prime locations, it is rash to push out long-time, successful merchants with the hope that Sansom Common alone will rejuvenate the area. But this is exactly what administrators are doing to the owners of stores in The Book Store complex -- soon to become a Wharton School classroom building -- and Houston Hall, closing for renovations in May. We are glad to see the Penn Book Center, which has provided the University community with a wide selection of academic books for the past 35 years, is working toward an agreement to stay near campus on the 3900 block of Walnut Street. For most of the other merchants in The Book Store complex and Houston Hall, however, similar deals on the University's current terms aren't feasible. Offering space at twice the rate of rent in bustling areas of Center City -- at $31 per foot rather than $12-$18 per foot -- is absurd and will no doubt force the merchants out of business or out of the area. Additionally, the clause stipulating that Penn receive 6 percent of the stores' sales above a certain amount seems more appropriate for a shopping mall than for a university. And that's the deal for those who have been offered space. Not all of the retailers have been so lucky. The University is making a mistake in trying to replace an eclectic mix of retail with large, generic chains. While University City could certainly benefit from some high-profile stores, administrators should try to maintain and enhance the current variety, as well as hold on to area merchants who have been successful in the area for many years. The Seed, for instance, is the only health food store in the area. And University Jewelers has been at Penn for about 60 years. When filling its remaining retail spaces, the University should give preference to long-time, successful merchants who will be forced out of The Book Store complex and Houston Hall. This means allowing them some leverage in regards to rent, and getting rid of the revenue scraping clause. Otherwise, we may end up with a lot of empty retail space around campus.