Rent and Recruitment Dominate Downtown Discussion

An open meeting of the Downtown Review Task Force took place Thursday in council chambers to allow members of the community to speak out about suggestions and questions they had about revitalizing the downtown area.

Hosted by Frank Macioce, former council president, and Brett Haire, a businessman in Summit, the meeting began with an overview of the task force's mission.

 The pair will review vacancy levels and compare it to neighboring towns and Summit's historical figures, look into the roles of the several commerce chambers in town and create a report comprising of their findings and suggestions for the downtown area.

While many of the vacancies can be blamed on the current economic state, some residents believe that some landlords need to make spaces more affordable to invite businesses to stay in Summit.

"The rents landlords are asking, they are driving business away," said Lois Schneider, a realtor and landlord in Summit, after hearing one business owner speak about renting costs. "What good is an empty store?"

Other residents mentioned that banks have been taking prime real estate because they can afford the "astronomical" rent while small businesses are suffering.

"We all need to be cognizant it's up to us to give support to local businesses," said Diana Hoffman, an architect who owns business and real estate in Summit and elsewhere.

Recruiting new business into the downtown area was also a strong suggestion from many shop owners. Currently, a service business is not allowed on the first floor of a downtown building. Some believe the rules should relax to fill vacancies, while other owners fear that will only cause more problems.

"Every town should have certain standards," said Betsy Crosby, a realtor in Summit. "We should reconsider what to have in the downtown area."

"It's not just filling (the stores),"countered Emi Havas, owner of Paperfolio later in the night. "It's filling them properly."

Others suggested recruiting younger business owners to set up shop downtown for many years into the future, instead of looking for people who will retire their store fronts after a short time.

It seemed that many business owners were looking to the chamber of commerce and Summit Downtown Inc., to help to guide the businesses into a common future of prosperity.

Councilman Rich Madden suggested SDI hire a marketing coordinator to help the stores with their needs in a more comprehensive way, while Haire mentioned that businesses need to embrace technology and find new ways to market products.

"We are all salesman," he said. "We can all make a difference."

Mayor Jordan Glatt spoke at the podium to say that he has heard the same complaints before throughout his time in Summit, and is looking for substantial change.

"We keep going over the same territory," he said. "We've got to make a move."

He also asked that all business owners come together to support the suggestions the task force proposes when it eventually comes to a vote in council.

"We're paralyzed," he said. "There's going to be pushback no matter what we do. We've got to take the next step in the community."