Signs of the times. "McCain for president, Obama for president," and "closed" -- businesses shutting their doors here locally.
It's finally Election Day. A handmade sign reads “Keith the contractor agrees with Joe the plumber,” attached to a McCain–Palin campaign sign. It's elevated, atop contractor's equipment, next to the most traveled roadway between I-95 and Amelia Island. The equipment is parked in a shopping plaza adjacent to Lowe's Home Improvement, a strip center hard hit by economic conditions (and also indicative of the high risk associated with opening a small business). It's very apparent that small businesses are hurting.
In this one shopping plaza next to Lowe's, four of the businesses have closed (three of them more recently). Latitudes coffee has a sign on its door, thanking patrons for their previous business. The Ice Cream Club and Petland have also now closed. Azure and Dune had closed awhile back. This is significant, in this retail center where about seven other businesses remain open. This shopping center, built just a few years ago during the boom of building along the corridor to Amelia Island, Florida, has thousands of cars drive by it every day. It's the most highly-trafficked roadway in this area.
THIS IS REPUBLICAN TERRITORY
Here in Nassau County, Florida, the most northeastern county in Florida, there are 47,894 registered voters (as of November 3, 2008). The Supervisor of Elections' web site indicates the majority of registered voters are Republicans (24,956, or about 52%). Democrats number 15,709 (almost 33%), and 7,229 are registered “other.” This part of Florida, in the northeast, is known as Republican territory.
Another highly visible campaign sign is also nearby along A1A, but this one's for Obama. It's a huge banner, taking up most of the side of the parked RV it's draped over, parked along this busy corridor. Today, as I drove by, I noticed a change to the Obama campaign banner. It's now been hit with graffiti. Someone has spray painted “MARXIST” on this Obama banner.
Here in Nassau County, Florida, a newspaper report (by the Fernandina Beach News Leader) indicates that over 57% of registered voters have already cast their ballot early. No doubt, there will be record-breaking turnout for this historic presidential election. I will be surprised, though, if Obama can pull out a win in this area of Florida.
NEW RETAIL/COMMERCIAL PLAZAS CONTINUE TO BE BUILT
Even though existing businesses are closing locally, there are several new shopping plazas under construction nearby in our area. Just up the highway, at A1A and Blackrock Road, a brand new complex of shops is nearly finished, the “For Lease” sign out front.
Not far from the bridge to Amelia Island, along A1A at Marsh Lakes, the trees have been cleared -- the beginning of construction of yet another commercial strip plaza, with signs posted "For Lease." Just head over the bridge and at the first light near the Hess gas station, another brand new retail project is nearing completion.
WATCHING THE GAS STATION SIGNS
Speaking of Hess -- it's been a daily ritual to watch the signs at the local gas stations change the price of gas at the pumps here the past month or so, and we've been pleased. The price of a gallon of gas at Hess has now dropped to $2.16 – that's down from around $4.10 this summer. At least gas has dropped like a rock (for now).
OVERBUILT RETAIL SPACE
New retail/commercial space is being built, lots of it, when the already-built centers have spaces sitting vacant. Just look at the empty new building in the Food Lion shopping plaza on Amelia Island. It has never had a tenant, a new building sitting vacant for a few years now.
Since the housing market has slowed the last few years, the large, new subdivisions located off of A1A, will take many more years to fill to their platted capacity (with some of these new communities platted for over 700 homes). The hub of new residential development along the new Amelia Concourse roadway will likely not have the new households projected for the area, for a very long time. Thus, for these retail/commercial centers being built, it appears they've gotten way ahead of themselves.
Some day all this retail space will be needed as growth continues in Nassau County. But in the mean time, with the state of the economy and housing, many places will likely sit empty, probably for years to come. The commercial space "for lease" signs will join the homes "for sale" signs. They're just the signs of the times... Meanwhile, most of the campaign signs, within weeks, will be plucked from the landscape across Nassau County, Florida and the nation.
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