Anderson Economic Group was retained to develop a retail strategy for the Dorr Street corridor, a major east/west arterial road at the core of the Greater Toledo metropolitan area. This corridor connects the University of Toledo to the city’s downtown, passing through a number of culturally diverse neighborhoods along the way. The corridor was under-served in retail, requiring local residents to travel to other retail destinations for basic needs and competitive pricing.
In developing the retail strategy for the corridor, we conducted a supply-demand (gap) analysis, fieldwork within the corridor and Toledo retail market, delineation of a primary trade area, and qualification of the results using our expertise in the retail industry and first-hand knowledge gathered in the market. Based on our analyses we concluded that there was opportunity for a specific amount of new retail square footage in 35 categories. We recommended a split of the retail opportunity in three distinct nodes along the corridor, including two major intersections and a third clustering to better link the corridor to the University of Toledo.
Our analysis and strategy recommendations were documented in a report, and provided to The Collaborative, a planning and engineering firm in Toledo that was managing the redevelopment effort. They have used the report to guide their efforts and focus preliminary investments into projects with the greatest potential for large impacts.