Palo Alto Is Considering Formula Retail Restrictions

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Denizens of Palo Alto, get excited for the upcoming overhaul of California Avenue, but don't plan your breakup party with University Avenue chain stores quite yet. City officials and planners are evaluating the application of formula retail restrictions to this stretch of commerce. It's all part of plan to look out for small businesses in the tech-heavy landscape, where rental prices are constantly on the rise. The goal is to protect a diverse mix of independent and chain stores, but there's no guarantee that it will succeed. Either way, it will be interesting to see if the finalized redevelopment of Palo Alto's sleepier, second downtown turns the area into a more vibrant hub.
· Palo Alto mulls chain restrictions on California Avenue [Palo Alto Weekly]
· Indie retail only for Palo Alto? City mulls chain-store ban on main drag [Silicon Valley Business Journal]
· Will San Francisco Adopt a Retail Workers Bill of Rights? [Racked SF]