by Ronald Roenigk
Publisher
The Theory of Unintended Consequences speculates that action to achieve one goal can in fact create “unintended consequences” based on the reaction of people responding to those original actions. In Lincoln Park, an effort to preserve the Armitage and Halsted commercial district’s character has now “unintendedly” contributed to an accelerated pace of change starting with the just-announced closing of one of the area’s most beloved stores, Armitage Ace Hardware.
While certainly not the only factor, the proposed new Landmark Designation on Armitage Ave. appears to be the final straw for the O’Donnell family, who will be closing the store at 925 W. Armitage this November after over 100 years of continuous retail operation at this location.
“We are going to continue to run our six e-commerce Internet businesses, with a retail barbecue and Combi stroller store at this location [in one of the six storefronts now occupied by Armitage Ace]. In addition we will continue our commercial and industrial supply business, but the hardware store will no longer exist as a retail establishment after this November,” said Daniel O’Donnell. “We had a meeting [Monday] with our staff and told them that we are closing the store. They were shocked—they thought I was just going to tell them that I was retiring.”
Contributing to the O’Donnell family’s decision is the high cost of running a business in Lincoln Park, the four Home Depots, one Menards and a future Lowes Store which have all opened (or will soon open) within a one-mile radius of the venerable store.
“This is not just sour grapes. The new Home Depot coming to Halsted St. was a real killer,” said O’Donnell. “Our store has a colorful history and was instrumental in the early development of the Lincoln Park community of today, but what’s the point? The store no longer is making money and things today are just changing so rapidly. Many of these changes, including the proposed Landmark Designation, have contributed to the demise of our small, service-oriented business,” said O’Donnell.
Armitage Hardware opened as a General Store in 1895 and was purchased by Frank Scherer in 1937 who then turned it into a hardware store. In 1968 O’Donnell became a partner in the store with Scherer, who then retired in 1990 when the O’Donnell family bought out the Scherer family’s interest. Dan’s son Brian O’Donnell was brought into the business in 1984 and made a full partner in 1990; he and David DeLaPena have since run the store with Dan.
“We’re looking forward to spending more time with our family,” said both O’Donnells. “I’m going to get my weekends back and perhaps I can even coach my kids on some little league teams like other fathers do,” said Brian.
“The e-commerce Web sites helped keep us in business the last six years and will remain open and be combined with a new brick and mortar store at our present location [for Weber Grills and Combi strollers], but those will be five-day-a-week operations with less overhead and inventory,” he said.
The O’Donnells have over a dozen potential suitors already bidding for their soon-to-be vacated retail space in the white-hot Armitage Ave. commercial district, though no decisions have been made yet by the O’Donnells as to the future tenant(s). It will be one of the largest retail spaces available in the proposed Landmark District and will surely draw more attention from upscale local and national retailers as word gets out about its availability.
“We want to go out on a good note,” said Dan O’Donnell. “In the current retail environment we can no longer remain profitable so we will start selling down our inventory and plan to close the store by November.”
The O’Donnells were stung by a succession of recent actions they feel added to the difficulty in continuing to run their store. They included the influx of big box hardware retailers in the vicinity, the rapid escalation of property taxes, the future effects of the proposed redesign of the Armitage El Station and the surprise Landmark Designation.
“In the early days we were really needed in this community,” said O’Donnell. “We carried a lot of interest-free loans for people doing rehabbing and helped to keep the Old Town School from closing when they were having troubles in the early 1980s. We are especially proud of the aid we provided to St. Teresa’s and the Greater Little Rock Church when they also were in need. We fought the gang wars, helped to clean up the el station and were a big part of bringing this neighborhood back to the way we see today,” said O’Donnell.
“When we first moved here you could buy homes in the area for $4,000 to $15,000 or just pick them up for their back taxes... now a single family home just sold for $9.5 million right down the street. The truth is that we can do better by closing our store and renting out the space than we could by continuing to run our hardware business... I guess this is just the Lincoln Park of today.”
Lincoln Park’s commercial market area will experience more unintended consequences as the cost of doing business spirals endlessly higher at the same time that government regulations and the economies of scale continue to benefit large national chains and franchisers. This has left many area residents and business owners asking, “Will the last family-owned store left in Lincoln Park remember to turn the lights off before leaving?”
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