When will South Main’s never ending wanting of City Tax Payer money end. It isn’t enough that the city charges the residents a tourism tax when eating in their own home town, now South Main wants a retail specialist to help sell their buildings to retailers. In reality it wouldn’t be that big of a deal because the retail specialist would most likely be drawn and quartered if they brought in businesses that did not meet the standards of the clandestine South Main group that lurks in dark corners and tears down flags and cuts the Christmas lights near Lewis and Clark.
You see South Main has to find its character and draw through trial and error just like any other successful business. They can limit the trial and error by using marketing data that is fresh and updated. The business owners have to make a conscious decision of what and who would be a good fit to South Main. The new study done by Judy Randall goes some of the way of saying what has been said for years. South Main needs something other than historic buildings to make it work. There needs to be more life on South Main.
This division of North and South Main Street might be a place to start. Instead of separating the two, why not take the best of both and make Main Street whole again? North Main has done a great job of creating a feeling of fun, while failing in the restoration aspect. South Main has failed tremendously in creating fun and vibrancy needed to have economic viability. South Main has done well in the restoration and creating historically correct facades.
The problem with a facade is that what’s underneath doesn’t show. The facade of historically correct buildings has to lend itself to businesses that make money for all involved. Many have given a tremendous amount of time and effort to create a Main Street that is special. Special can’t be just the building fronts. Main Street needs ownership that has embraced the need for a vibrant and lively Main Street.
The worst thing that could happen to Main Street is to let the City meddle in the business of business. They should leave us alone to find the retail that will be successful. Give us the Randall Study let us make decisions with our property. This City isn’t what anyone would call a well-oiled machine. If they can’t run their business why should we trust them with ours? Maybe my blaming South Main for wanting a retail specialist is incorrect. Will the Mayor’s want to improve her property values on Main ever end? Now she wants someone to sell her property and using taxpayer money to do it.
