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Retail Notes - Panel goal: retail sales in shelters
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Published: July 5, 2009
Imagine a restaurant inside a homeless shelter. That's the hope of the Ten-Year Plan Commission on Homelessness.
The commission is a collaboration involving the city of Winston-Salem, Forsyth County and the United Way of Forsyth County with the aim of ending chronic homelessness in the community within 10 years and improving the delivery of services to people with housing problems.
The commission wants the City-County Planning Board to allow retail sales in shelters for the homeless. The Unified Development Ordinance currently prohibits them.
The commission's goal is to provide 600 units of supported housing by 2017, said Andrea Kurtz, the group's director.
She said that the commission is considering many different models to achieve this goal and wants to develop supportive programs designed for its clients.
"Some of the projects that we are interested in developing are combining both housing and vocational opportunities," she said. "We really want to look at building mixed-use housing for some of our clients."
Kurtz said that having a retail business in shelters would provide a vocational-training program for clients that would include a lot of supervision and guidance support.
Initially, the commission wants to put a restaurant in a new homeless shelter for a transitional housing program for veterans that it has planned for Winston-Salem. The restaurant would be open to the public but would also provide food-training for clients and offer some paid positions.
"We're in the process of trying to put the financing together," Kurtz said.
David Reed, a principal planner for the City-County Planning Board, said that the commission's proposed amendment to the UDO would allow homeless shelters to ask and make their case for a retail component before their local governing bodies.
The Winston-Salem City Council and the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners would still look at requests on a case-by-case basis, including proposals to add retail sales to existing homeless shelters.
The commission's petition will go before the planning board at a public hearing Thursday.
Mall News
Hanes Mall has several new stores.
Aldo, a women's and men's shoe store, has opened on the upper level across from Pottery Barn in the former Easy Spirit shoes space. Easy Spirit moved to the south mall, lower level, in the former Strausburg Children location. J Medic, an automotive-services business, primarily for Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler brands, has opened next to Dick's Sporting Goods. Discount Performance was the last retailer in that building.
PoPPyPia, a junior-apparel shop for girls, is on the upper level across from American Eagle in the space vacated by B. Moss Clothing. New York Grill, offering Mexican cuisine, will open in the food court in two weeks.
Games on wheels
Kevin Roberts and his wife, Jill, of Lewisville bring parties to their clients on wheels.
As the newest owner of a Games2U franchise, the couple travel around Forsyth County in a mobile video-game theater, covering Pfafftown, Clemmons, Lewisville and the majority of Winston-Salem. Their party vehicle features multiple flat screens inside and outside, and offers such video games as Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii systems. Twenty gamers can play at the same time.
There are laser-tag games that work in the daylight or dark, and can be set up in front or backyards or in neighborhood parks. Party-goers can also roll around in a giant Hamsterball, shoot customized air cannons and play Game-yata, an updated version of the piñata that releases candy when a player hits a target with a ball.
Because the Games2U van has satellite TV, it can broadcast games for tailgates. Information on booking parties can be found at g2u.com. The van is available for a variety of events, including corporate and private parties, festivals and church functions.
■ Fran Daniel can be reached at 727-7366 or at fdaniel@wsjournal.com.
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