City brings new plans for businesses on El Paseo

Last year, J. Crew and Teavana had shut down for good. But there are new changes coming to that retail area. Eddie V’s will be opening this fall and Gucci has changed their retail spot to a larger location on El Paseo. Shoppers are enjoying more stores on El Paseo.

As for store manager of Leggiadro, Nathalie Paulsel she explains that the construction is impacting her store.

“I am between construction so it’s pretty hard to get traffic,” says Nathalie Paulsel.

She understands it’s been slow and her store is hiding behind the current construction on El Paseo. She has hope that once Eddie V’s and the new clothing store neighboring her store opens. It will bring more foot traffic.

According to the city of Palm Desert, the street’s vacancy rate currently sits at 10 percent which is lower than its 2016 rate of 17 percent.

The city continues to monitor the vacancy rates on El Paseo. There has not been any rate fluctuations from last year’s vacancy rate.

News Channel 3 spoke to Martin Alvarez, Director of Economic Development about this years vacancy rate.

“They have hoovered about at 10%… 11% and that all depends on what time of the season you take that vacancy survey,” says Alvarez.

Especially this summer, there has been renovation projects and construction which is a form of tenant improvements.

“You’ll see a lot of new businesses open up in some of those vacancies…it may look like it is still closed down. Give it a couple of months,” says Alvarez.

Some of the noticeable changes that shoppers have noticed that businesses are moving to different locations while others are leaving.

“We feel confident that the vacancy rate is stable,” says Alvarez.

The city plans to finish their seasonal projects and hopes to finish for the new season which is around November 1st.

KESQ