Town assesses growth

As the greater metropolitan Cleveland area expands and shopping malls bring chain retail closer, the businesses of Oberlin are looking for ways to boost the downtown area. Main Street Connections, a city-hired firm, recently issued a report highlighting some of the problems with the downtown area and suggesting ways to more effectively use Oberlin's assets.

One suggestion was to improve unity between the College and the downtown businesses. Daniel Gardner, Assistant to the President for Community Affairs, has been made a liaison between the town and the College.

"It is new to have a distinct liaison with the downtown and the City," he said. "There has never been one person to call who can answer questions or be responsible for finding out the answers."

"The Main Street Connections report was an excellent summary. It's a good opportunity for the downtown to get a handle on the development coming to this area and to maintain a thriving and groovy downtown," Gardner said.

Dave Parsh of Dave's Army Navy Surplus participated in a committee that reviewed the report. He said the report was a good thing for the City to sponsor and that the support of the College is also instrumental. "It helps to realize that it behooves the College to have a downtown that's economically viable," he said.

Communication between the College and the community is a positive step, according to many. The businesses also have to look carefully at their situation. "To keep the downtown viable we also have to package ourselves and market to potential businesses," Parsh said.

As an example of the problems facing small family-owned businesses, Gardner cited the statistic that a single Super-K store of the type that may soon come to areas surrounding Oberlin has 180,000 square feet of retail space, whereas the entire downtown area has slightly over 100,000. "With the upcoming turnpike intersection of Route 58 and development on Route 20, 'Big Box Development' could be within five miles of Oberlin," Gardner said.

Parsh said it would be a challenge to implement the suggestions of the report, but also necessary to enact them one piece at a time. Some of the important changes to be made are building and facade improvements.

Another important aspect is to reorganize the organizations that exist, Parsh said. It has been suggested that a full-time employee be hired to oversee the development. "For example, to put on a large music festival it would be much easier than with several part-time people," Parsh said.

The status of downtown businesses is an important issue for the whole community. "It's a quality of life issue for students and local people. Sometimes we forget that it indirectly affects everyone," said Parsh.