Wednesday, May 10, 2000
Price tag
Nordstrom boon to boonies?
Herb Wilkens Sr. spent the better part of Tuesday morning mowing a field where a Nordstrom store will someday sell men's pajamas.
“I'd rather be in women's lingerie,” Herb joked as he jumped from his John Deere.
He could afford to be a little frisky. He's celebrating the news that he's selling his family farm so a Nordstrom store can open its doors in Warren County.
Frank Wilkens, Herb's dad, bought Wilshire Farm in 1923. Herb was born in the white-frame farmhouse on the grounds in 1926.
He remembers sitting on his dad's lap as he plowed fields with their horses, Betty and Bob. Those horses worked the same land where today, and every day, 20,000 cars plow up and down Mason-Montgomery Road.
In the year 2003 — 80 years after Herb's dad planted his first crop of corn at the farm — the parcel in Deerfield Township will be a shopping complex anchored by a Nordstrom store.
This development is happening to the chagrin of Cincinnati officials. They want the much-coveted, upscale retailer downtown.
Despite the news from Warren County, Cincinnati is still trying to lure Nordstrom to Fifth Street with a $50 million incentive package. Much of that money comes from the taxpayers and goes to Nordstrom for letting shoppers frequent a downtown store with knowledgeable clerks, a piano player and silver credit cards.
Herb didn't offer any incentive package. He's making money on this deal.
“My lawyer told me I can't afford a 180-foot yacht,” Herb said. “But I could buy a Maserati.”
If a Nordstrom store ever materializes in Cincinnati, Herb won't hop into his Italian sports car for a jaunt downtown to shop.
“I don't go downtown,” he said. “Too far. Got enough shops out here.”
Barbara McClure lives close to Herb. The Nordstrom store will be just a stroll away from the vegetable garden she was watering Tuesday. She'll go to her neighborhood Nordstrom. But not one downtown.
“I do all of my shopping close to home.”
Herb and Barbara's shopping habits give Cincinnati hope. Just because there is a done deal in Warren County doesn't mean the deal downtown is done for.
Cincinnati officials must, however, become more forceful with Nordstrom. The store's management needs reminding that everyone with disposable income does not live in or near the booming counties of Warren and Butler.
It's a stretch for people in Kentucky, Indiana and Clermont County to drive that far to shop. From my west side of town, Wilshire Farm was a 34-mile, one-hour drive at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
The elapsed time includes periodic gridlock from the Interstate 71 exit ramp past Herb's field of grass on Mason-Montgomery Road.
Not everyone will want to make that trek. Nordstrom's piano player can't be that good.
Cincinnati needs to make Nordstrom work for its $50 million. Have the department store attract the critical mass of high-end stores — J. Crew and Crate & Barrel — downtown needs to thrive. Or, the deal's off.
The city can then invest the $50 million in something unique to Cincinnati, such as the riverfront. Warren County can have Nordstrom. The store can keep its silver credit cards. I can stay closer to home and save my greenbacks.
Columnist Cliff Radel can be reached at 768-8379; fax 768-8340.
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