Saturday, August 7, 2010
Revitalizing Downtown Salisbury needs to go to the next level
The revitalization of Downtown Salisbury has gone through numerous studies by various groups over the years. There are a variety of opinions on what will work, what has failed, and how to go about it. In my opinion there are several factors that are key in successfully accomplishing this goal.
First, there needs to be an anchor business that will draw people there such as a Trader Joes, Whole Foods or another nationally recognized business. These are two businesses that could really bring people there. Also, secondary anchors such as an Apple Store or Pottery Barn are businesses that will bring people from all over Delmarva here.
Secondly, closing downtown Salisbury to traffic is another key component. This will create an atmosphere such as Santa Monica's Promenade. As a part of this the city should allow restaurants to have more space for outdoor dining and allow food stands in peak traffic time.
Third, create an enterprise zone and tax benefits through the county and city to entice these businesses to come here. It is small price to pay when you are able to help create jobs and boost the economic condition of this area of town. This will also help make it even more desirable to live downtown and help create a strong customer base.
Fourth, I encourage Mayor Ireton to personally contact these companies and invite them to our city with open arms. The Mayor needs to be the economic champion for our city and aggressively approach companies to do business here.
Lastly, bring back the movie theater but make it a multipurpose center. Whether it is independent films, classic movies, concerts, we need entertainment downtown on a consistent basis.
We all recognize the importance of creating a unique image for Downtown Salisbury that will retain her classic charm. Third Fridays is good start and I applaud Mayor Ireton for championing that. It is time we take the next step.
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I agree Downtown Salisbury needs to revitalized, but with private money. Salisbury should model itself after Palm Springs, Ca. Look into the back story of Sonny Bono and you'll see Palm Springs was just like Salisbury in 1990. Bono changed regulations and now the area is thriving. The above store you mentioned.....don't hold your breath. Salisbury, Md is the 151th media market in the country. Apple and Trader Joe's only go to areas with a median income of $50,000 minimum. Salisbury really missed the boat a few years ago with the proposal to house SSU students downtown.
ReplyDeleteYou refuse to post any comments to your article. That makes you worse than Joe Albero. What? Still trying to figure out a comeback to my previous comment? What else was I expecting from an employee of Walmart?
ReplyDeleteNot quite sure why the second comment came in with such animosity, I just do not sit at the computer all day, I do work for a living.
ReplyDeleteI do not disagree with your first comment. My concern is that Maryland and Salisbury are unfriendly when it comes to attracting business. Stepping outside the box and doing what you can to bring business here. Study after study and no major steps forward will just lead to this being an issue still in another 20 years.
Also, to correct a couple of errors in your anonymous comment, i mentioned stores, not one store. Also, it is SU (Salisbury University), not SSU (Salisbury State University), which has been changed for quite some time.
Also, I am nothing like Joe Albero. I do not call people names, attack their families, spread lies about people, or allow others to do it on my site. I may be a little lax on comment moderation, partly because I was under the weather and also had been working today.