Here in the UK in most cities the amount of empty commercial property is astonishing. You can get space on really good terms eg first 6 months free, next 18 months heavily discounted, and a 5 year lease. A decade ago that would have been nothing free or discounted and a 10 year lease. The reason being that high street shopping is dying. Shopping centres have occupancy rates as low as 80% and are gradually being converted in to complexes of restaurants and bars instead.

Store fronts are an anachronism. Building new commercial property in places where you can't put a service business like a bar is pointless. And very few people want to live above a bar.