And, for the record, I think concept, product mix and management have much more to do with whether a downtown retailer survives or not than do parking or rent. Simply put, there are a number of operators (both retail and restaurant) I have seen downtown over the years who have completely missed the market on product, failed to account for seasonality (which is actually opposite of traditional retail), and failed to adjust staffing during busy and slow times.

It is especially challenging to do this in downtown and Bricktown, and people who think just because they ran a business successfully in the 'burbs that Bricktown is a lead-pipe cinch are in for a nasty surprise. In my opinion, while the rewards are potentially great, you actually have to be far more business savvy to survive downtown than elsewhere. Unfortunately, the perceived success (most people only see Bricktown during really busy times) brings a lot of amateurs with get-rich-quick dreams into the mix.

There are certainly examples of retailers who have survived and even thrived despite the slow times, paid parking, and everything associated with doing business downtown. Exhibit A: B.C. Clark Jewelers.