How Vacancies Get Filled on The Hill

‘Vacant’ is almost a dirty word in Chestnut Hill.

New restaurants like and retail shops like have come to Germantown Avenue in the last six months, but what goes into placing businesses in these open storefronts?

Eileen Reilly, retail recruiter for the Chestnut Hill Business Association, puts in the hours to get new businesses on the Hill.

“More often, the ideal candidate already has a store and they are ready to open a second store. If they are opening a second store, they are healthy,” Reilly said. “That’s a hard thing to do—find those independents who have an upward trend, but they’re out there.”

Reilly spends much of her time establishing relationships with businesses that fit that category. She frequently visits business districts in areas like Doylestown and Princeton, New Jersey, and gets to know the independent shops and businesses.

It’s not about finding any business that can fill the vacancy, she said, it’s about finding the right match.

“I see the same type of shopper in Princeton and Doylestown: tasteful, similar income level. I might like a store in Northern Liberties, but they are not our same shopper. I know it might not be a good match,” Reilly said.

Once a vacancy opens, she looks back on those shops with which she has already established relationships, and starts to have a substantial discussion with the owners about expanding.

From that point, it could take anywhere from two to eight months to go through lease negotiations. Ideally, stores hope to open in spring or autumn to hit peak shopping seasons, so that timeline can affect the speed of the negotiations.

Right now, Reilly said she has a few negotiations open for current vacancies along Germantown Avenue.

This is the first of a series about vacant storefronts in Chestnut Hill. In the upcoming weeks, Chestnut Hill Patch will be examining the vacancies throughout Chestnut Hill, and what can be done to fill them. Check back tomorrow for Eileen Reilly’s visions to move more businesses to the lower Hill.