OP-ED by Dan Gorman
I admit it – I took it for granted. With one of the lowest failure rates of any franchise chain in America, I assumed the Subway in the heart of our business district would always be there. I was shocked when it closed with no notice. The note on the door says business had been declining for the past three years, and the owner could no longer pay his taxes. I look at other buildings in our Central Business District and wonder why they sit empty for so long. I truly admire those that can make it work. Please, please support them any chance you can get.
As a real estate investor in Fort Thomas, I work with the City to attract new businesses to our town. I spend a lot of money to renovate their spaces, and watch the owners invest tens of thousands of dollars as well. I’m always optimistic, but sometimes wonder – will our town welcome and support them? Will they thrive, or just survive? Will they attract customers from outside of Fort Thomas, customers that will support our other businesses as well?
I drive around, and see our neighbors – Newport, Bellevue, Dayton, Covington – reinventing their business districts, drawing our residents, one by one, out of Fort Thomas to spend their money. Each time a building goes vacant in our Central Business District, it becomes more difficult for the remaining businesses to thrive.
Henry Ford said, “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
It seems that this is a critical point for our city, an opportunity to consider cooperation between building owners, businesses, investors, developers AND the City to change the business climate of our CBD. I want more opportunities to “shop local.” I want our town to be known for not only our beautiful homes and great schools, but also for our cool, funky businesses.
