Depending on how you look at growth, the following could be great news, or not. I personally think it's fantastic but your not hearing about this news anywhere else.
Get this. You know where PASCO is located on Rt. 13. They're packing up and moving to the 84 Lumber in Fruitland and a Chick-Fil-A will be moving into PASCO's old location.
Grants Texico will be relocating to the old Car Care on Rt. 13 and Goose Creek will be moving into Grants.
You know the old Safeway building that was the Jobs Center, Walgreens will be moving into that location.
Then there's the old Highs store on Main Street where Mt. Hermon Road starts. Believe it or not a 7-11 will be going into that location.
They broke ground on the old Hearne Farm. You'll soon see what they are calling the Orchard Student Housing where they'll have around 500 beds for students.
Remember the Sun Room place on Rt. 13 near Staples. There's going to be a 17,000 sq. ft. Office Complex going in that location.
There are a few more projects in the works but not set in stone like the ones I've mentioned above so we'll hold off a little while until things look more secure. So you might say Salisbury is experiencing a mini boom.
That is a CVS, I think I heard, at the old Safeway on Mt. Hermon Road across from the Board of Ed building.
ReplyDeleteSounds nice but these are all low income job businesses. We have lost much of the skilled manufacturing and other jobs and are becoming a place with little opportunity and shrinking middle class.
ReplyDeleteThere are, of course, an affluent elite -- hospital and Perdue management, doctors, lawyers, etc., and a second tier of SU and other State and County employees that feed at the public trough.
But not much else except low paid persons.
Salisbury and Wicomico County are no longer the hub of the Delmarva Peninsula -- those days are gone forever.
Just what Salisbury needs is a 3rd nasty chick-fil-a! I still can't figure out why soccer mom's flock there to feed their kids greasy gristle nuggets and greasy fries. I think they actually think fried chicken is healthy! (and don't try to con me into believing women actually buy their kids the "grilled nuggets" - which who knows how many preservatives are in them to make them taste like hotdogs)
ReplyDeleteChick-fil-a is horrible - the "chicken" is uneven thickness so partially undercooked, aways a big tough peice of gristle, way oversalted and put on a too tiny crumbly overbuttered bun.
It's sad, I remember when CFA first opened in the Centre and it was awesome REAL CHICKEN, perfectly cooked, the bbq sauce had pineapple peices in it, and the lettuce and tomato were perfectly crisp in the environmentally unfriendly styrofoam cup!
Some of these unsold properties have been on the market so long that many of the locals have decided to move-in for the picking. You'll notice that many are well established businesses that are upgrading into new facilities.
ReplyDeleteSome are getting really good buys because the property tax liability is forcing the existing owners to slash their asking prices in order to get out.
And of course the college (government) is continuing to expand despite any recession. I noticed that Salisbury University is suppose to get a 160 + million new library. Of course - this is just Free Money - (joke).
Love 7-11. great coffee, hot dogs with the fixens and their selection of ice cream bars is the best. Anyone hears plans in the works/whats happening with the old Super Fresh space?
ReplyDelete752, you are correct. Existing businesses are taking advantage of bargain basement property prices to allow for future expansion, if it ever comes. Most of the vacancies' owners face high maintenance costs or fines from municipalities that are impossible to keep up with. They have to unload them. There's no "New" businesses entering the picture, but it may generate a few construction jobs for a short term.
ReplyDeleteThe old High's convenience store located across from Tolteca - that is to be replaced with a 7-11. I do not believe it will be a success. Nothing at that location has ever flourished and neither will 7-11.
ReplyDeleteAt the old Maryland Jobs Center - Wallgreen will most likely be a success. But then again - the competition is stiff as there is another Dollar General being constructed next to Ollie's. And there is already a Dollar Tree on the other side next to the dispensary. Not to mention the hordes of others including the abandoned former Rite-Aid building across from Hardees.
Now for the RT 13 former Sunroom location. That whole RT 13 stretch has vacancies all over the place - and so will the newly proposed 17,000 sq. ft. proposed building. Panny Pizza is still vacant and so is Boaters World, The Mattress Center, and former Signcraft facility. Barnes & Noble are closing facilities across America - and Salisbury could also go.
How do I know all of these things -because I try and occupy these vacant structures. And in this environment - it is not an easy task. There is a lot of commercial paper flying - but none seems to stick. My professional assessment - I would say that things are far from flourishing. What I see is a lot of distress selling.
family dollar is next to the dispensary. wish it was a dollar tree. bad to have family dollar compete head on with dollar general. seems odd. i've not seen any action there and i go there (ollies) at least 3 times a week.
ReplyDeletealso, especially since dollar general is looking to make a takeover of family dollar as it is now in the stock market.
Don't you worry - PASCO is going to be shell shocked when they get their tax bill to pay Fruitland taxes. I owned a rental property on Cedar Lane right across from where PASCO is locating and Fruitland's real estate taxes are outrageous. I told my wife that if I ever unloaded that property I would never buy another in the City of Fruitland.
ReplyDeleteConsidering our economy has been comotose for the past 3-1/2 years - any kind of movement at all is a positive. But I would not go so far as to say that our economy is thriving - quite the contrary it is still in a state of comotose in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteAnd we wonder why the downtown is dying? How many pharmacies and dollar stores do we need? There's dollar stores every five miles for miles around and too many pharmacies to count. I saw one yesterday that I didn't know existed. This is unbridled growth and the statement about Fruitland taxes is true. The only thing City about Fruitland are the outrageous taxes. Wish I could move but would lose my shirt trying to sell.
ReplyDelete4:01 --
ReplyDeletethose convenience stores are not the reason for the situation downtown, Nobody in their right mind would find it convenient, and then pay for parking, to buy items that they can get elsewhere without the hassle and outrage of paying to buy something.
To 4:01 AM
ReplyDeleteWhen I received my taxes that included the City of Fruitland I could not believe it. When I went to the assessors office to complain, he was courteous and said;
'Weren't you aware that Fruitland's municipality tax is the highest of all surrounding municipalities?'
I said ---ll no. Now I understand why real estate values are so low in the City of Fruitland. Unfortunately, it was to late for me as I already purchased the property.
To all of you talking about Fruitland taxes. The tax rate in Fruitland is 80 cents per 100. The tax rate in salisbury is 81.9 cents per 100. What does that mean......fruitland is not the highest taxed municipality around and salisbury is higher....like their crime rate. But then again, that would mean that you have to actually look something up before you type.
ReplyDeleteSince we are talking about businesses, Salisbury charges commercial businesses a base rate of $400 to $620 per quarter. Plus, $1.46 to 1.89 for every thousand gallons. Fruitland charges businesses $220 per quarter and that includes the first 8000 gallons, after 8000 gallons it is $3.00 per 1000. So.....what does that tell you? Fruitland has got a bad rap because of people who don't know what they are talking about and Salisbury is actually higher in both taxes and water and sewer rates. They should all move down to fruitland where the crime rate is also much...much....much....lower than Salisbury.
ReplyDeleteWell there is another side to this. For every business that expands, two or three more close down. The resulting unemployed will not be offset by the expansion of existing businesses. Those who own the businesses that close are ineligible for unemployment so the unemployment numbers will not accurately reflect the actual numbers of those recently unemployed - which is great for the incumbents using the "decreasing" unemployment numbers as a feather in their caps. What really exists is an expanding gap between the wealthy and the poor. The middle class is all but gone.
ReplyDeleteTo 8:28
ReplyDeleteI Know what you are saying - that Salisbury is higher than Fruitland - (80 verses 81.9 per $100) - but it was not that way until the recent rate increase.
Either way you 'cut it' - it is still outrageous for both municipalities.
Reference to Salisbury's recent tax rate increase
ReplyDeleteYou can thank Barrie Tilghman & Paul Wilber for being responsible for that due to the exhorbitant litigation cost associated with the Salisbury Waste Water Treatment facility. And it ain't over yet folks! They have raided almost every account - (Salisbury Water & Sewer) - and still no end in sight.
Talk about DOUBLE TAXATION - don't get me started.
Sorry to hear Grant's is moving. A large number of elderly use that station for the convience and close pay at the pump. Not a population that would be able to go across Rt. 13 especially on that corner with the heavy traffic.
ReplyDelete5:09
ReplyDeleteyou are seriously smoking some awesome crack. where can I get it?
Chic Fila is horrible?
Its one of the healthiest fast foods around.
11:53, Fruitland's moved upwards also 3 years ago. They have always been close in their tax rate. I don't see it as "outrageous", it is inline for the services they offer. Salisbury and Fruitland don't really get any services from the county, no road maintenance, police, etc. They have to provide those services and that takes money. Once Fruitland is able to get more users online, it will be easier to spread out the cost of business. That goes for both water/sewer and general. Fruitland is growing, and it will be moving in that direction. Part of the problem is the stigma that Fruitland is so outrageous......well....not really in comparison to Salisbury. Depends if you want to live in a crime infested city, or a city with a very proactive Police Department. You can also blame MDE for the cost of doing business at the wastewater treatment plant. They make the rules up as they go along and require more and more every year.
ReplyDeleteResidential water bill for Fruitland is TWICE what my mother pays in Salisbury, plus you get billed for 8,000 gallons whether you use it or not. What a bargain! Wait, it's not!!
ReplyDeleteBetween the property taxes and the water bill, I couldn't sell my property even if I could afford to go elsewhere.
In addition, their officers used to nice, friendly, helpful, people. Now it's their own version of the Gestapo going on, where you have to prove where you're walking or motoring to, and why! And oh, by the way, do you mind if we search you...
You people complaining your property taxes are high and no tax money for anything.That is because there are'nt enough businesses in town to pay the higher taxes so us poor homeowners pick up the tab.We should welcome all the new businesses we get.
ReplyDeleteTo 2:50 You must be joking. Welcome new businesses!!! With the exhorbitant taxes - who can afford to buy from the businesses when you can get on the bi-pass and be in Delaware in 10 minutes. I go get all my batteries at Interstate Battery on Rt 13 next to the old Delmarva Aluminum. There is not any sales tax - and if you play your cards right you can buy tires also at Karl King tire center. There aren't any taxes there either.
ReplyDeleteI personally welcome the upgrades that are taking place all over town.
ReplyDeleteIt's refreshing to see progress.
I love Chik Fil A and they are the fastest growing fast food chain nationally.
I personally havent seen the inside of a 7-11 in years and have no plans to. I certainly havent seen a new 7-11, ever.
I dont know why we need a big battery store but I guess i'm not the target market.
Would love to see Harris Teeter set up shop in Salisbury, and a Starbucks on the south end of town.
As for the city center, tear it down and build a new 'Town Center'.
wow all jobs paying barely minimum wage. gee should I get off my fat ass give up all my government benefits and trudge to work every day for nothing? I think not! I may be stupid but I'm no fool! no way 320 bucks a week will replace what I get free every month!
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