opportunity

when borders bookstore opened on mill 

avenue back in 2001, there was a fair amount of grumbling

 that it wasn't the right fit for the eclectic downtown area. 

it was too corporate, as were several of the other big name stores 

that opened around that time - the gap, bath and body works,

abercrombie & fitch. the corporatization of mill experiment

hasn't worked - none of these stores have survived the 

economic slump. left behind are empty stores and big 

signs. at first glance this looks like one more 

indication that things are going south, but a closer look 

reveals an opportunity: to fill the empty stores on mill

with the same eclectic mix of stores that made mill such 

an interesting destination, rather than an aspiring mall.