Retailers, restaurateurs in uneasy real estate situations
By Sam Lounsberry
Staff Writer
Daily Camera
February 8, 2020
Boulder retailers and restaurateurs are facing challenging real estate costs in a local business environment likely to continue squeezing independent merchants, a city consultant warned in a December report.
After collecting survey results from 42 retail and foodservice restaurants in Boulder, with respondents skewed toward downtown businesses, city-hired Gruen Gruen + Associates examined the sales data and costs for each business accrues to occupy its space.
“Attraction and retention of smaller, independent merchants is likely to be become more challenging under status-quo”
The consultant found commercial landlords’ practice of passing along costs like property taxes, building insurance and maintenance is having an impact.
Gruen Gruen + Associates 