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Palo Alto Online

California dreamin'

by Pam Sturner

Pedestrians strolling along California Avenue are about to see something they have longed for since last May: lights on in the Printers Inc. building.

Sometime this summer the 6,000-square-foot space -- one of the anchors for the street -- will become home to Village Stationers, which is vacating its store on University Avenue.

The family-run stationer, which was founded in Palo Alto in 1966, will be joined by another longtime downtown business in heading across town. Radio Shack, a fixture on Hamilton Avenue since 1970, is leaving for 490 California Ave., the former home of Computerware at the corner of El Camino Real.

Kerry Hoctor, the owner of Village Stationers, said competition from Office Depot in East Palo Alto and a decline in Palo Alto's office population -- his main customer base on University Avenue -- spurred him to move. A rental agreement for less than the going rate on University sealed the decision.

With the change in location, Hoctor will also shift focus from business customers to residents' needs. Returning to the model that has made his Menlo Park store prosper, Hoctor will carry some office supplies, but will emphasize what he calls "socially oriented" merchandise: gifts, cards and school supplies.

"I talked to people that live in the area and asked them what does it need," he explained. "They said, 'We get our hair and nails done, or we go to the dry cleaners, and then we leave. There's no real reason to browse.'"

In addition to giving residents a place to browse, he hopes to entice other businesses to move over from the downtown, which he says doesn't attract many people who live in Palo Alto.

Mary Wolf, the owner of the Printers Inc. Café next door, certainly hopes so. Since the book store's departure, evening crowds -- which consist mostly of residents -- have been thin, and she thinks Hoctor may help to revive foot traffic.

"I wish they'd come in a year ago," she said, noting her customers are always asking where they can buy books and cards. In an effort to keep them happy, she even bought and stocked a large magazine rack, even though it doesn't make her any money.

Hoctor has committed to the California Avenue site for the long haul; he signed a five-year lease with three options to renew, for a maximum of 20 years. He plans to move in by Aug. 1, or sooner if he finishes sprucing up the façade and upgrading the lighting before then.

Kay Jackson, a spokeswoman for Radio Shack, said the traffic at the corner location at California Avenue strongly influenced the company's decision to move, as well as a high proportion of the middle-income shoppers who form the bulk of Radio Shack's customers.

Ronna Devincenzi, the president of the California Avenue Area Development Association, thinks both businesses will draw people in, and she's glad to see two anchor spaces being filled.

She's also happy to see a small, locally owned business move in to Printers Inc.'s old space. "I pine for Printers Inc.. every time I go by that corner. I'm excited to see new life there," she said.

California's gain is yet another loss for the downtown, where high rents have helped drive out many businesses, including The Good Earth, Burger King and Stacey's Bookstore.

"I'm really disappointed to hear about both," said Cornelia Pendleton, the owner of University Art Center on Hamilton Avenue and the co-chair of the Downtown Marketing Association. "We've already lost . . . a lot of retailers. It changes the face of downtown."

E-mail Pam Sturner at psturner@paweekly.com