Business bustles as Twenty Ninth Street opens

BOULDER – Two weeks into its inaugural season, Twenty Ninth Street seems to be fulfilling its mission: raise the level of retail activity in Boulder and restock the city?s flagging sales tax coffers.

Tenants are reporting sales ?above and beyond what was expected,? said Lori Giggey, marketing manager for the retail district. ?The stores are saying they have exceeded their goals, with some saying it?s their biggest grand opening ever.?

Among those that exceeded their sales expectations during the opening weekend are The Territory Ahead, Acorn, Ann Taylor Loft, Laudisio Ristorante, MAD Greens, California Pizza Kitchen, Apple Computer and lucy.

MAD Greens reported it doubled its best opening day in company history, and had the best Saturday and Sunday in company history.

Laudisio was so busy during its soft opening the days prior to Twenty Ninth Street?s grand opening, plus its official opening Oct. 13 and 14, that it closed for business Sunday, Oct. 15, said Sheldon Romer, a consultant working with the restaurant.

?On Friday and Saturday we had a two-hour wait. So on Sunday we shut down to give the staff and everyone who had been pushing toward the opening a chance to breathe,? Romer said.

The 20-year-old Italian restaurant, which relocated from North Boulder to the new shopping district, is considering opening a separate meeting facility, Romer said. ?We have been deluged with party requests and meeting requests, so we are looking at some alternatives.? Possibilities include leasing more space at Twenty Ninth Street or the using its former location on Iris Avenue, he said.

Levi?s and Islands Fine Burgers and Drinks missed the opening weekend, but opened for business Oct. 15 and 17, respectively. Francesca?s Collection opened Oct. 23, and Famous Footwear is scheduled to open Oct. 30.
Early November arrivals will include lululemon athletica and Staples; mid-November should see the openings of Chipotle, Men?s Wearhouse and Solstice; and Lady Foot Locker and Purple Martini will open by the end of the month, according to Giggey.

Along with checking out the new stores at Twenty Ninth Street, Boulder residents are familiarizing themselves with some of the new roads and connections in the area.

City officials say these additions should help ease traffic.

?I saw a lot of learning (of the new connections) going on, but it looked like the roads were handling the extra traffic,? said Mike Gardner-Sweeney, Boulder?s transportation operations and planning coordinator.
Gardner-Sweeney said the biggest learning curve was motorists? interactions with pedestrians, particularly out on the main stretch along the new 29th Street. He also noted some drivers still figuring out the intersection at Canyon Boulevard and 29th Street.
Gardner-Sweeney said the next big test for traffic will be when the movie theater at the retail district opens next spring.
Giggey said she?s been watching traffic patterns as well.
One area of concern, she said, is that people aren?t utilizing underground parking. ?We are working on getting signage up so people will see it,? she said.
Another early issue was drivers hitting curbs and driving through crosswalks because curbs, crosswalks, streets and sidewalks were all the same color, making them hard to differentiate. To solve the problem, curbs and crosswalks have been painted white so pedestrians and motorists can see them, Giggey said.
Giggey said she was aware of news reports about an Americans with Disabilities Act complaint against Twenty Ninth Street developer Westcor and the city of Boulder regarding the height of the curbs, but said she hadn?t heard anything directly about the complaint. ?Everything that we did was approved by the city to the city?s standards,? she said.
Complaints about the lack of places to park bicycles should end when the racks to accommodate 250 to 300 bikes are put in place in late October, Giggey said.

Staff Writer David Clucas contributed to this story.

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