Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr
I don't know if it's a waste of time filling out the survey, but I do agree that it's not a wish list for what stores or businesses we'd like to see here. I don't think that TV makes the decisions on which businesses open here. The businesses do. The fact that we are a long way from a major highway keeps a lot of major stores from settling here. Ocala, which is half the size of TV has many more major stores. If you look, many of the big chains are right off of I-75. Perhaps if the turnpike exit gets built near Brownwood we might see more of the major chains moving in, but again, that will not be the decision of The Villages.
Personally, I don't see a congestion problem where I am. True there is a bit more traffic in the snowbird months, but it's still not bad. I hear that the Colony shopping plaza is quite crowded, but I hardly ever go there so I wouldn't know. Perhaps as more retail opens up around Brownwood and in the new Fruitland Park area, the congestion at Colony might ease up.
I think that the things we need to focus on in the survey are things that TV actually has the power to do something about. Asking for Costco, Trader Joe's or your favorite restaurant from back home is not one of them. I'm sure that if Costco wanted to rent land from TV or buy a lot just outside, no one would stop them. Those stores are not here because the don't see us as a viable market for their products. 100,000 or 125,000 people might seem impressive to many of us, but people who make these decisions for these major corporations and looking for areas that millions of people have access to.
I think that the seat saving issue in the square is something that many of us are concerned about and something that the entertainment department light actually do something about if they think enough people are concerned about it.
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I have to give credit where it is due and this post makes so much good sense that I just had to quote it so maybe more people will get to read it before it is lost in the thread as the beat goes on.
Copycat Laurie
PS: -- although I do have a concern about Colony crowding. I have been known to flee to that lovely Publix by the hospital when I have time. And today, I will try the Winn-Dixie at Pinellas. Or I can time my Colony visits. Or sometimes just go there at a busy time and experiment by smiling at everybody. Colony can be quite a study.