Nico Holthaus | INTERVIEWS - Some see revival of old Mill Avenue in Borders closing

Nico Holthaus, a longtime Tempe filmmaker, said he recalled the 2001 opening of Borders bookstore on Mill Avenue as a symbol of a changing downtown Tempe.

"You couldn't deny it anymore. There it was, the 'corporatization' of main street," he said.

Now, he views the January closing of the store as an opportunity - to revive independent business

on Mill. Holthaus said it may be farfetched but he would love to see the Borders space broken up into incubator spaces and leased to independent businesses.

This year, Holthaus released Mill Ave Inc., an independent film with scores of Tempeans' documenting the evolution of Mill. With the notice of Borders closing, many Tempeans are recalling the 'old' Mill Avenue and positing on what will replace the prime Border spot at Seventh Street and Mill.

Holthaus and other Tempeans realized the extinction of most of downtown's independent businesses

did not happen overnight. It took place in small, barely noticeable steps until something once vibrant has disappeared.

In the case of Mill Avenue, many were left scratching their heads, wondering where the soulful sounds of independent music and merchants of downtown Tempe went. In their place over the past decade came corporate-owned businesses: Bath and Body Works, the Gap Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Borders bookstore.

Gone was Long Wong's and with it went nightly local bands and cheap wings on Mill. Locally-owned Changing Hands Bookstore and its eclectic mix of used and new books and monthly book clubs also moved off of Mill when the owner could no longer afford the skyrocketing rent that often comes with a shift to corporate business.

While Tempeans have lamented the "corporatization" of Mill, last week they noticed that the economic slump may have spurred an unexpected opportunity to revive independent business downtown.

A closing business note hanging on the door of Border's bookstore, a 25,000-square-foot retail mammoth on Mill, signaled change. After the recent closing of Abercrombie, Gap and Bath and Body, Borders was one of the few corporate retailers left downtown.

And while few business owners want empty spaces, the chance to reshape Mill is causing a buzz amongst Tempe's old-timers.

Vic Linoff, owned and operated Those Were the Days bookstore on Mill for 35 years. Linoff closed the store in August. He still leases space, at a discounted rate

, to two independent businesses.

Linoff said he rents for less because he thinks Mill will only survive the economy and competition from Tempe Marketplace, which opened nearby in Tempe last year, if downtown can offer "unique, one-of-a-kind shops."

"Mill is not a mall," he said. "If people want corporate stores they'd rather go to a mall. They'll come to Mill . . . for destination (shopping)."

Linoff said he would like to see another independent bookstore take the Border's space after it leaves in January.

Jos� Ramirez, a real estate consultant

with Urban Realty & Development on Mill Avenue, said Holthaus's idea of parsing the space for lease may not be as farfetched as it sounds. He said it would be great to rent the spaces to an eclectic mix of shops.

Mayor Hugh Hallman said that he sees Borders' closing as a chance to shift gears on Mill.

"I'm actually rather delighted that we're finally moving on away from the chain stores that got a hold of Mill Avenue. It was Borders that chased Changing Hands off of Mill," he said.