I'm assuming "normal retail" refers to stuff that meets day-to-day needs as opposed to high-end drinking and dining? I think it speaks to the broader issue of gentrification leading to a loss of budget-friendly local businesses and seeing them replaced by chains that can afford the higher rents. Convenience stores, cheap takeout venues, a wallet-friendly barbershop, a lower-end sports bar, etc?
This is anecdotal, but I don’t think what Marda Loop is experiencing is a great example of retail gentrification. There’s been some minor displacement, but the net supply of retail spaces has grown many multiple times over - the high end spots are all in new builds, replacing very little retail.
Not saying is hasn’t happened, just saying the effect of displacement is vastly overstated in Marda Loop. I’d go as far to say Marda Loop never really had much of the “normal stuff” in the first place. It was just such a low baseline , as is most low-density, suburban style neighbourhoods with a pocket of retail based on a few minor strip mall.
Instead of displacement, I’d argue the current local retail economy in Marda has been unusually defined by locally high income spending on beauty, niche designer shopping, coffee and wine. 95% of these places are new builds or first-time residential-to-retail conversions. This didn’t displace much of anything though - the current boom just grew past and around the modest amount of retail that predates the current development era.
To transition to a more “normal” retail is more day-to-day stuff for moderate incomes. Grocery, accessibly priced restaurants/take out, bars. Competent normal retail places that aren’t dependent on a unusually concentration of incredibly high local luxury spending.
Creating “normal” retail probably can’t be shortcut. You need a large supply of walkable retail bays, combined with high local population density.
Marda Loop only has gotten this in the past decade so I’d expect the displacement to occur ironically in reverse - high-end wine bars will be diluted with more normal stuff as growth continues.
