Syd - "white elephant" probably not the best description but it was one of those project areas that always seemed doomed to fail.

In the intital days, there really were some nice merchants - Brentanno's (this was before Borders and Barnes * Noble was just a small chain), Benneton, and other good retailers. Couple of restaurants including Rusty Scupper (a better than average local seafood chain) and a Japanese steakhouse.

Trouble was, no seemed willing to walk the half block from South Street, which was booming at the time, to The Marketplace.

As for the Smith Brothers - they seem to do all right as speculators, although I have no idea what they actually put into the Marketplace project and what they paid in commissions, transfer fees, design fees, taxes, etc.

But, since Treybill hasn't gotten a single project, that I know of, off the ground, Smith is better off keeping his day job.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs