Haltom United Business Alliance commissioned the census for the second year in a row.
HALTOM CITY, TX, November 19, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ — Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA) has been requesting that Haltom City take steps to revitalize and bring businesses back to the central and southern corridors for three years now.
To properly measure progress or decline, the alliance first ordered a business census from a third-party at year ended December 2022. That same census was also ordered for the year ended December 2023. The results show a decline in business occupancy in the four main corridors of Haltom City.
HUBA believes that the business occupancy in the main corridors has been decreasing now for a number of years because the city refuses to recognize the decline or make a plan to get more businesses in the vacant buildings.
Joe Palmer, HUBA’s Communications Director, says, “I don’t understand why Haltom City is unwilling to address this decline in the main corridors. Anytime it’s brought up, the city just speaks of all the development on the north side and how they’re bringing so much business to Haltom City, yet anyone can see the decline, the boarded-up buildings and all the vacancies in the main corridors in the central and south parts of the city.”
He adds, “HUBA has maintained until city leaders recognize those conditions and then make a plan, there will be no change.” Palmer says that he knows it will take years to implement any plan.
HUBA has proposed a list of reforms on more than one occasion that would cost the city nothing and would make it easier on the business community and help attract new businesses to these declining parts of the city.
The study was conducted by a third-party walking and driving to every single business and/or address in the main corridors including Denton Highway south of Loop 820, Carson from Belknap to Beach and Northeast 28th from Belknap to Beach St. and Belknap west to Beach St. The study revealed that business occupancy has dropped since the end of 2022 until the end of 2023 from 83.2% to 79.9%, or about 4%.
There has also been a decline in automotive shops, which the city had said that it wanted. Unfortunately, the city’s policies make it hard for most businesses to come to the city because of restrictive parking requirements, special use permits and a use matrix that is decades old and does not recognize current conditions. For instance, a dry cleaner isn’t allowed in but one zoning district, and a swimming pool supply company isn’t allowed without a special use permit in a commercial zone. There are many other conditions within the use matrix that create hardship for new businesses seeking to open in Haltom City.
The city said it is focused on bringing big businesses, which it has done a good job of doing on the north side, but none of the big businesses are coming to the central and south parts of the city and aren’t likely to with declining traffic and occupancy.
The business alliance maintains that the only way to rebuild these corridors is one small business at a time and until the city is willing to recognize that their conditions restrict or prevent that, no improvement will occur. The recent business census reveals that the vacancy rate has passed 20% in these corridors.
The city maintains that real estate records indicate a much lower occupancy citywide. Although HUBA doubts this, they are focused on the main corridors as that is what visitors and new prospective businesses visit. There is no reason to believe that the same restrictive policies that are driving the decline in the main corridors aren’t working in other parts of the city to restrict businesses.
HUBA believes that these corridors represent the heartbeat of the city and certainly influence prospective residents of Haltom City who drive the main corridors as they consider the decision to move in. With over 1000 people moving into North Texas every day, Haltom City appears to be the only city in Tarrant County with a population that is dropping.
About Haltom United Business Alliance
Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA) wants to give members of Haltom City’s business community an advocate and to keep those businesses informed about issues that affect them. They want to make sure Haltom City is business friendly and nurtures small business growth, including automotive businesses in the industrial districts, and bring more restaurants including breweries and eventually a major grocery store to the city. New businesses and growth in existing businesses will create a stronger tax base which will allow the city to pay its first responders wages that are competitive with surrounding cities while improving Haltom City’s facilities and infrastructure. HUBA believes that the southern and central parts of the city need a revitalization plan, to prevent further degradation in those areas, and wants that to happen before the inner-city experiences increased crime and more blight. As retail and office uses are in decline, it’s more critical than ever to attract new businesses. They believe that such a plan requires a strong relationship and support of the business community. Anyone who owns a business in Haltom City is eligible to join HUBA. Dues are $20 annually or $50 for a lifetime membership, and membership is 100% confidential. To join, contact Joe Palmer at (682) 310-0591 or by email at HUBAgrp@gmail.com. Visit the group’s Facebook at Haltom United Business Alliance.
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