Below is the entire series we ran the week of July 26 through July 31, 2009
DOWNTOWN LEEDS – FORWARD
We will introduce a week long series today on Downtown Leeds. The entire purpose is to spark ideas to keep downtown a vital place in our history and our commerce.
In this opening part we’re going to define some of the problems that have been shared with us for years. This will no doubt bring some criticism and we are used to that. How can you “fix” something if you are not willing to explore the possible problems?
Please remember that we too, were a downtown merchant until we moved to Ashville Road. We witnessed many things in downtown Leeds as we often set on our porch with our laptop writing many of these editions.
Downtown Leeds has unbelievable potential and this first part in the series while defining some of the problems, is not intended to be a negative blast of downtown merchants. They are good folks and the ones there are not really what we are referring to in regard to problems, as were speaking of businesses that have come and gone for the most part.
Preserving, revitalizing, renewing, overhauling, changing; these are ING words that are often used to talk about what needs to be done with Downtown Leeds.
An ING word, whether as part of a compound verb, an adjective, or in a participial phrase, generally refers to action.
We are in danger of watching our downtown become a ghost town if we are not mindful and observant. We also have an opportunity with new development at our exits to point new people to our downtown area.
We’re going to discuss this all week long and our desire in the end is to come up with positive thoughts and ideas. However, there will be some negative aspects in the discussion and I would ask that you get over that. You can not fix a problem without defining the many parts that lend to and contribute to the problem.
Before we get into new business types, signage, events and all the possible solutions from an outside helping perspective, let’s talk about the merchants. Again, some of this will seem negative and I ask you to get beyond that as this series goes all week and will culminate with positive ideas.
What will encourage visitors and locals to come downtown?
I’ve been listening to this debate for years in Leeds and the big buzz that pops up every single time is restaurants. I could not agree more, but even restaurants by themselves will not be the magic formula. We’ll return to the restaurant discussion, but let’s take a moment to speak of what does not work in getting people downtown.
What Will Not Help Downtown Leeds
GUILT – Try it on someone else as it seldom works on anyone, although I may be one of the few people that will actually say so. Let me be the first to say that I try to shop in Leeds whenever I can, but there are criteria that have to be met to keep me shopping in Leeds, not to mention to keep me in the downtown area.
I’ve heard more than one disgruntled shop owner that closed their doors in downtown Leeds complain of the lack of loyalty from patrons. I’ve heard the blame game pointed at other areas of retail such as the exits, new development and the list goes on and on. Certainly there are things that can be done to help downtown merchants and we all need to discuss that, but you can not fix a problem that has several factors with just one solution or only from outside help.
BAD HOURS – If you are going to open a coffee and pastry shop in downtown Leeds it has to be open when people need it to be. How can you open a coffee shop at 8:00 a.m. and expect to sell a lot of coffee?
When I was on Parkway Drive before we moved I used to drink my coffee on the front porch doing work on my laptop, and I can tell you a lot of traffic goes through downtown Leeds in the time before 8:00 a.m., and I’m sure many of those folks stopped somewhere to get a drink on their way to work.
I’ve sat on that same porch in the early evening hours and witnessed the downtown area become a ghost town after 5:00 p.m., and yet the cars continue to pass through the area. Many people pass through to get to their homes if for no other reason. People work, and you have to have hours that accommodate their schedules.
NOT ADVERTISING – Before you think that self serving of our publication to mention this, let me remind all that last April we provided FREE coupons to all Leeds merchants for the entire month and we got one business to take us up on it.
They told us they actually had a lot of coupons to be used. Without going into a lot of reasons for advertising, let’s just say it is most definitely the reason many people ask for a coke® without a second thought or preference.
LACK OF HOSPITALITY – If you want my business let me know you want it and not just by advertising. Greet me when I walk through the door, thank me when I leave, graciously offer your restroom facilities to me when I need them, and do hundreds of things that make me want to come back because, I’m the customer and you need me more than I need you. If that sounds harsh to you I hope you have a lot of money to keep your business going, or something no one else can provide.
BAD PRICES – I fully expect to pay more for something from a local business than a national chain, but I’m not taking out a mortgage to keep you in business. The little things like being open when I need you, providing detailed customer service, and the hundreds of other things mentioned above will make me glad to pay a little more for your goods and services but only within reason.
NOT RESPECTING THE CONSUMER – We’ve lowered our price at the Leeds Herald, but if we do not provide what people want in news and events it is our own fault if the subscribers do not come. In short the fate of the Leeds Herald is in our own hands for the most part.
Downtown merchants must be pro-consumer in ever aspect.
Why?
Because downtown merchants are already at a disadvantage from many things such as no restaurants around, national chains and other factors so they must be pro consumer at every level.
Just like the Leeds Herald must overcome the fact we have a duty to put controversy in the public eye, we realize it leaves a bad taste in the mouth of some. All we can do is try to be better at what we do and overcome this obstacle. We will not stop being a watchdog of the people, and downtown can not deny the disadvantages it has over national chains. What we can do is be better than the rest and let consumers know we want their business.
We are in no way saying that there are not hard working consumer oriented shops in downtown Leeds, what we are saying is they have to rise above the obstacles and problems and find their niche in the consumer market place.
More to come in the Monday Edition.
DOWNTOWN LEEDS PART I
Yesterday we started a week long series on Downtown Leeds noting some of the problems merchants face.
You’ve probably heard that Governor Riley will be at a press conference today at Barber MotorSports Park for the announcement of Indy Car racing coming to the track. Folks we just continue to get opportunities to help our Downtown Area, let’s really take advantage of them.
Small town problems are by no means exclusive to Leeds. All over America from the early 70′s onward there has been an ongoing struggle with Small Town America and downtown revitalization.
We’re going to look exclusively at Downtown Leeds this week, but let’s level the playing field of information and see what organizations and other places have been through with revitalization. Take a look at the below web sites for everything from historic preservation to problems and to solutions for downtown areas.
Solutions for America – DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
USDA – DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
National Trust for Historic Preservation – COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION
Your Town Alabama: Designing Our Future
2010 The Year of Alabama Small Towns & Downtowns
We encourage you to review the above and tomorrow let’s look at possible solutions for Leeds, one at a time.
RESTAURANTS IN DOWNTOWN – PART II OF DOWNTOWN LEEDS SERIES
Will a restaurant help downtown Leeds? Of course it will, but we may be shooting for the moon to think one will set up shop tomorrow. Many think a restaurant would be the silver bullet for downtown Leeds and it may be, but that’s a lot of faith placed in one basket.
It’s not like we haven’t had restaurants in the downtown Leeds area, as we certainly have. We’ve had a few, and watched them come and go. A recent study by U.S. News ranked restaurants as one of the most overrated startup businesses in America.
The Leeds Herald actually looked at starting an Internet Cafe three years ago and the costs just to get a building in compliance with health department regulations were staggering. Without a lot of hype, suffice it to say, restaurants are risky business.
There is a reason Laney’s is still in business on the edge of downtown. They open early in the morning for breakfast, serve a variety for lunch, and have developed a customer base over the years with their friendly service. It will take this same commitment to customers for a restaurant in the heart of downtown to work.
A Restaurant Alternative
Think of how big a restaurant has to be to accomodate enough customers to make a go in the fierce competition of the food industry.
Think about a yogurt shop on one corner in downtown Leeds, a Gyro place a few doors down, an upscale hot dog shop at the next corner, and a donut and coffee shop in the middle of the block.
Now, think about the size of the many empty buildings in downtown Leeds right now, and these smaller alternatives to a large restaurant fit right in to the size of current vacancies. They also fit into the aspect of the many speciality shops we already have downtown.
Is this the answer?
Maybe, maybe not, but it IS alternative thinking with a plan. Maybe we need to think outside of the box a little, instead of thinking one thing such as a restaurant will save downtown.
More tomorrow with another idea.
DOWNTOWN LEEDS – PART III
So we discussed how a restaurant will help downtown but may not be the silver bullet and save all. We covered some alternatives such as donut and yogurt but we’re still placing our trust in food.
Well, food is a repeat item to be sure and repeat items bring repeat business. Other than eat food what do people do on a repeat basis that involves spending money? Remember sometimes people do things and then spend their money later.
So what would get people to come downtown or a regular basis? In fact what gets people to get out of the house for anything on a regular basis besides food?
KIDS
Yes, you heard right, kids are a driving force in the economy and always have been. So is our downtown kid friendly? We have a library that is most definitely kid friendly but is there anything else?
Are there not gazebos on corners downtown? What if there were a couple of mini-playgrounds downtown, or what if there was an entire recreation facility like Councilor Kile suggested to me with a walking track maybe near the current City Hall?
OK, let’s keep brainstorming.
MUSEUMS
What if there was a museum of large proportion downtown that fit our history? Say maybe something to do with trains to match our historic depot or something to do with folklore to match our festival? I believe there has been some talk about that already, so let’s find some grant money, but first let’s find a plan.
A plan…hmmm… that means someone has to be in charge and someone being in charge means that someone else that wants to be in charge doesn’t get their way. So how do you handle that? How about a multi-faceted plan where lots of different ideas can become a reality and no one gets their feeling hurt? Pipe dream, huh? Not really, more to come tomorrow.
DOWNTOWN LEEDS – PART IV
Yesterday we ended with thoughts of a plan. There have been many in the past. Several are sitting safely inside manila folders collecting dust in filing cabinets.
Don’t think efforts of many have not made an impact in downtown, as they have. Kelly Love, Tim Jennings, The Historical Society, Dr. Carl Marbury, The Arts Council, The Chamber of Commerce and countless others have made a significant impact on downtown Leeds for the better.
Now it’s time to do more. So who are the players? What are the players?
The players are everyone and that means business owners, property owners, organizations, government and last but not least, the citizens and consumers.
If we leave any one of these out of any future planning things will do downhill, maybe not on the surface, maybe not immediately, but eventually it will turn sour.
Any plan that does not give proper consideration to all the players is doomed and we’ve seen it before. No one group, organization or person has any more rights than the other players in laying out a plan. This will start a war in some circles and it has to stop.
If you will define the goal from – Make Downtown Better, to a new goal of – Make Downtown Better for ALL, then you are thinking in terms of success. If you read any of the information we provided earlier in internet links you will find power struggles among groups always hurt plans to help a small downtown area.
We’ll end tomorrow with some action items for the future.
DOWNTOWN LEEDS – PART V
So what do we do to help our downtown?
It starts with discussion, and I’d like to thank Sherry Whisenhunt for writing her Letter to the Editor to get this started. Through healthy discussion you get ideas, and whether or not you have time to join an action committee or organization, your ideas are valuable to downtown.
Join our safe environment online discussion forum and talk about it in the Development Topic, remember real name only, no handles. Be on the lookout for citizen get-togethers that we will sponsor over lunch, dinner, or coffee over the next months.
We are overhauling the leedsalabama.com web site and we’ll create a dedicated section of nothing but the ideas that you come up with. Send them to us, join the discussion, attend the future meetings, because downtown Leeds belongs to all of us!
David Hogan
