On Mon, 4 Mar 1996, Kenton wrote:
> Some of you may have seen signs over the weekend or received an advertising
> letter that Myklebust's clothing store is closing. Coming on the heels of
> Jackle Jewelry's closing after Christmas, this will leave two big gaps in
> the retail fabric of downtown Moscow.
> Are these developments inevitable, given the trend toward concentration of
> retail in malls, or could we have done anything to help these two businesses
> stay downtown? And who is doing recruitment for businesses to replace
> them? The Moscow Downtown Association is practically defunct, the Chamber
> of Commerce doesn't seem to see this as part of its mission, and the
> EDC seems focused on creating a business park.
> A strong, healthy downtown shows up repeatedly in surveys and discussions
> of what people like about Moscow, yet collectively we don't seem to be
> doing anything to protect and enhance that asset.
> Joel posted an article several weeks ago about national chains that are
> seeking downtown locations... What are the chances of luring someone
> like Eddie Bauer or the Gap to downtown Moscow as an "anchor tenant"?
> I'd like to hear reactions from other subscribers to this list.
> Kenton
>