Buxton has helped a number of communities trying to fill empty big boxes. Salinas, California successfully filled an old Mervyns location with Forever 21, a clothing store for teens and young adults.

The following is an excerpt from The Californian newspaper:
Jeffrey Weir, the city's economic development director, provided some good news with the grand opening of Forever 21 on March 20 in the former Mervyn's site at Northridge Mall.

Mall officials reported about 500 people were waiting in line before the store opened its doors, Weir said.

He said the clothing store was identified in a retail analysis that Fort Worth-based Buxton Co. provided last year for opportunities to generate sales tax revenue. The report stated that the city loses about $2.3 million in possible sales tax revenue annually because people choose to go elsewhere to shop.

"We really do expect (Forever 21) will be enhancing the retail sales tax," Weir said.

Read the entire article.

Resources

Buxton will be hosting a webcast titled “Positioning Your Community For Retail: Recruiting The Retail Developer Partner” with the Texas Municipal League on June 24.

By forging alliances with retail developers many communities have discovered they can maximize their retail potential.  Participants in this webcast will gain insight into the requirements for a successful partnership with retail developers, as well as learning practical methods for ensuring top performance.

To sign up for this Texas Municipal League webcast, follow this link: http://www.tml.org/ed_webinar_retail.html