While some of Danbury”™s officials are changing positions, downtown Main Street merchants have started to feel the effects of the economy in the fourth quarter, though a light may shine in the spring for those with deep enough pockets to outlast the storm in the city of 80,000.
Mayor Mark Boughton, in his “State of the City” address earlier this month, announced that current Economic Development Director Wayne Shepperd will be replacing Michael McLachlan as Boughton”™s chief of staff. McLachlan was elected to the state Legislature in November.
However, McLachlan is still going to be working in City Hall, as Boughton named him the city’s new economic development director, while whittling the job’s hours to a part-time position.
“He has institutional knowledge and he’ll have great contacts on the state level,” said Boughton.
Common Council member Paul Rotello said the position is more important now than ever, given the economic climate.
“I would like to see more time devoted to economic development,” said Rotello.
Shepperd is credited with bringing the Nutmeg Games, the Connecticut Film Festival and the American Junior Golf Association Championship to Danbury.
“I think Danbury”™s doing a good job with the City Center and the mayor,” said Kevin Haney, owner of the Greenery Café. “I would say that Danbury has been fairly stable as compared to the rest of the state, most stores are still open and still running. I see slow growth, but I don”™t expect anything huge.”
Shepperd was also involved in discussions throughout the year to bring Pepsico from Somers, N.Y., to Danbury. The cola giant has yet to announce a decision on the move.
According to Andrea Gartner, executive director of City Center, the influx of cultural events to the city”™s downtown is important to its growth and will continue.
“We”™re trying to create downtown as a center for culture and entertainment, very affordable entertainment,” said Gartner. “Because we”™re in the Northeast we didn”™t feel the impact as hard as in other parts of the country,” said Gartner. “There has been a slight impact on Main Street in Danbury, but in the economic downturns there are always opportunities to be found.”
According to Gartner, the downtown”™s events and activities are a great way to spend time and money that in a different economic climate might have been spent elsewhere.
“Anyone who has available cash in the downturn has a chance for investment in real-estate in Danbury,” said Gartner.
Shop owners sounded the importance of consistent customers and established roots to survive in the downtown.
According to Dominick Volpe III, president of Conrad W. Kasack Inc. Opticians on West Street in downtown Danbury, business has been up and down depending on the weather and the holidays, which is typical. Danbury”™s downtown businesses rely highly on the city”™s foot traffic.
“It”™s been a tough last quarter and the winter is never a busy time anyway,” said Volpe.
According to Volpe he sees a light at the end of the tunnel in the spring and thinks that many businesses in the downtown feel the same.
“It”™s been an OK year; just the last quarter I”™ve seen the most significant difference,” said Volpe.
Luis Tomas, owner of European”™s Furniture & Gifts said the bad year has affected business owners across the board.
“We”™ve been here for 30 years, have a niche and are small enough to adjust with the economy that we survive,” said Tomas.
According to Tomas, he has seen some of the little shops that are just opening their doors in the past years closing them just as fast.
“I don”™t see many of them surviving along Main Street,” said Tomas.
Leigh D. Overland, a downtown architect who works in a 50-mile radius of Danbury, said his industry sees with some foresight, and this is a great time to build.
“We”™re getting our clients 30 percent lower prices, the contractors are eager and willing to build and spend time so quality is great,” said Overland. “Innovation is also great because this type of economy pushes the envelope when it comes to getting more efficient lighting and heating systems, and insulations. With all of the difficulties in this type of economy, it very often has some long term rewards.
“We noticed the slowdown in the beginning to middle of last year,” said Overland.
Overland said he was not anticipating such a large degree of deceleration in the economy, though he was able to keep busy with current projects.
“We”™re starting to see some life when there was very little of it the last six months,” said Overland. “If that information can be translated into anything, I”™d say it”™s going to be a fairly slow first and second quarter and if these people decide to continue with their projects, in the third and fourth quarter these projects will get off the boards. I think that people are becoming numb to it and realizing the world won”™t be coming to an end.”
Rui Falcao, administrator at Faltom Jewelers, said consistent clients have helped his business to barely be affected by the downturn.
According to Falcao, downtown businesses like his family”™s, with roots and steady clientele, have no reason to think that 2009 will change much for them.
“You don”™t do as many big sales, but you try to do more small ones,” said Falcao. “You have to try to take in new customers and turn up the marketing. I do think there need to be more incentives for people to come downtown. I”™m not sure the City Center does enough.”
