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Store owners cite a lack of foot traffic and high rents as contributing factors for the closure, coupled with a sales decline of nearly 50% since last fall. The Domain, which was envisioned as an upscale retail, residential and commercial alternative to downtown, has been plagued by public perception problems and financial issues since opening its first stage in 2007. Most recently, developers announced that they would be delaying the second phase of the project until 2012. Oakville Grocery, a high-ends food and wine market based in Napa Valley, also pulled out of the Domain after being there for less than a year.
"Bettysport was one of a handful of local retailers that opened locations in The Domain, with the promise of being in 'Austin’s second Downtown,' said the press release announcing the closure. "Traffic there has never met expectations, and nearly all of the retailers there have suffered lower than expected sales."
The original Bettysport location at 12th and Lamar is separately owned and will remain open.
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Sad to see local business like Bettysport not do well there, but I am glad their other store remains open (and I hope doing well).
BUT, I am happy to see the Domain not do well. It is an evil scourge that touts money and expensive brands without anything local. It is also an ugly adult disneyland that is not built to last (many buildings are not solid materials). The only good thing about the Domain is that it might keep the rich moneyland shopping bag toting mindless SUV driving anorexic people away from the normal people and fun of Austin.
Now if only $Tiffany'$, $tarbuck$, and Nieman Marcu$ would close.......
ps. I guess the world would miss the Domain'$ huge outdoor gas fireplace burning on the many 90 degree days as I saw their on my visit to the absurd shopping center.
Building second downtowns from scratch is always unlikely to succeed - which is why transit needs to go to existing activity centers rather than pretending it can just create new ones. (Red Line).
The vitriol against the Domain reminds me of punker-than-thou conversations. "If you spend thousands of dollars at locally owned boutiques, that's cool, but if you spend them at the Domain you're a mindless zombie consumerist."
The Domain's a shopping center, not a major world religion. And considering how much thought has gone into pretty much every other shopping center in Austin, I still think we should be encouraging places like the Domain.
true. Bought something at Terra Toys this weekend. It's an Approved Local Business in a truly awful pedestrian-hostile 150-degree-pavement-covered strip mall that makes it clear that the owners hate the earth and want it to die.
The Domain is not even content with the 150-degree-pavement-covered-strip. They have constructed a huge gas fueled fireplace under shade trees that they operate on very hot days.
Yes, but you're encouraged to park once and walk, rather than drive from strip mall to strip mall in the beloved area around Northcross Mall [sic].
I agree that strip malls are not one of my favorites either. I would rather walk or ride my bicycle. But the Domain is not following through on trying to be a green place. They are just another big mall, even if it is open air, and expensive (no affordable toys either).
I think it is more than a shopping center. Starting with the name Domain, which does sound like some sci-fi evil moniker. I am not suggesting that we need to have crumby places, but a mixed use / type environment would be much better than large privately owned 'community'.
The Domain was named by IBM back when it was a sci-fi-y hight tech center.
Don't forget that there is not a single CapMetro bus that goes within one mile of Domain. (The Red Line is worthless -- only about three trains a day each way.) And just try riding your bike up Burnet Road past Braker. Domain was built for cars and cars only.
At least the Northcross area is served by about five major bus lines (#'s 3, 5, 350, et al.) I'd rather spend my money at local businesses closer to the central city, regardless of whether the owner's landlord "hates the earth."
Kenneth, You sound poor, but that's ok, I rode the bus at one time too. But, as a matter of fact the Domain has a few bustops on the perimeters, I know this because my office is right outside of one of the stops at braker and mopac.
"you sound poor" wtf? You sound like an ass! But that's ok because you're on the internet so you're not alone.
kelsoATX, please let kenneth1 defend himself, I know the library will be open soon and he will have access to this site.
Not a good one. That shit ain't funny. Decapitating rich people and mounting their heads on sticks = comic gold but in this economic climate, you just set yourself up for being a t-bag when you make fun of the poor.
...the Domain has a few bustops on the perimeters, I know this because my office is right outside of one of the stops at braker and mopac.
Braker and Mopac? Are you freaking kidding me? That's like a two-mile walk from Domain.
I know this because, though I am not a wealthy techie with a corner office on Mopac, I have ridden the #3 many times (the bus to which you refer). And yes, it's true I am one of the unwashed Visigoths who is forced to ride CapMetro because I choose not to use a smoke-spewing CO factory to move my body from place to place,
Kenneth, 1 mile. Really? Taking out of the equation the fact that I regularly walk a mile to get to or from a bus. What exactly is within a mile of the bus stops around north cross? It's a 1/4 mile across the parking lot from Anderson to the Alamo Village for goodness sakes.
I'd love to work where I could walk 1 mile after taking public transit.
Can we split the difference? It's not really a mile or two walk into the Domain from Braker (the #3 stops closer than Mopac); but on the other hand, it's an awful, awful walk - lots of it with no sidewalks; all of it with no shade. (This is where the opening to Office Space was filmed). The #3 doesn't serve the Domain by any reasonable definition of the term. (Of course, the Red Line is even farther away, not that it stops people from thinking they're gonna ride that train up there!)
Good one, kelso.