Small downtown struggles against big mall

Originally published Saturday, September 13, 1997

By JACK HOPKINS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

South Hill Mall, which opened in 1988 and underwent a major expansion in 1994, is a force to be reckoned with, as local businesses have found out. The J.C. Penney store, which once anchored the downtown business section, moved to the mall.

But downtown merchants aren't throwing their hands up in despair and surrendering.

"We are working at finding our own niche, something that is special and unique to downtown Puyallup," says Nancy Mendoza, executive director of the Puyallup Main Street Association representing downtown business interests.

City officials have thrown their support to preserving the downtown area and launched a $7 million revitalization project this summer. Much of the money, ironically enough, is coming from the South Hill Mall.

While most South Hill residents live outside the city limits, the mall is inside the city and provides significant tax revenue to Puyallup. And some of that revenue is financing downtown redevelopment. DeLong -- with tongue in cheek -- calls that "an interesting financial dynamic."

Downtown streets and sidewalks were torn up for much of the summer in what is designed to be a three-year construction program resulting in new streets, decorative sidewalks, seating and other improvements.

"We are making it more pedestrian-friendly," says the city manager. "We are going to make it a friendly, pleasing, interesting place to shop."

Mendoza says merchants are excited about future prospects: "It is a new day in Puyallup. The association is recruiting new businesses. And we'll be looking at the signage ordinance and working with property owners for improvements. This is bringing life back to the downtown community. And the merchants and property owners are committed for the long haul . . . to make sure it works."

Pohlman Corner, a 75-year-old combination restaurant and general merchandise store in downtown Puyallup, is one of the many local businesses that have survived not only competition from the South Hill Mall but the long summer of construction downtown.

"The summer has been good for us," says Sherri Larsen, manager of Pohlman Corner. "The restaurant side has been feeding the construction workers, so that has helped. This side (where general merchandise is sold) has been a bit slower, but the construction hasn't affected us as much as we expected."

Longtime residents have stayed loyal to the store despite the opening of the mall, she said.

"We get the valley people and some of the tourists. And we even see occasional 'hill people,' as we call them," says Larsen.

One focus is likely to be on antique stores. There are 350 antique dealers in the community and many of them have stores in the downtown area, Mendoza says.

(For more on one downtown merchant's perspective, see Jon Hahn's column.)