Life returning to heart of Main Street
Thursday, May 08, 2008
You can sense synergies starting to build along South Main Street in downtown Springboro.
Newer strip centers north on Main (Ohio 741 in Springboro) and east on Central Avenue (Ohio 73) draw some of the new businesses and customers coming to town.
Extras
Others, however, are looking back downtown, where the community began about 200 years ago.
John Carter is the latest entrepreneur to set up shop in one of the old buildings on South Main.
Rather than spend money on rent and gas for spots in shopping centers from Columbus to Dayton to Cincinnati — locations known to draw aspiring skateboarders — Carter, a Springboro resident, bought a building in the historic district and opened his latest Badboards store in his hometown.
At times, teens wander along this stretch, working their way north from schools to The Garage youth center, then heading toward the K&W.
These youths are well aware The Cake Ladies sell more than bakery. Inside the shop, They pick up old-fashioned (for them) candies before heading up the street.
Badboards is the latest stop for clothes and shoes favored on the skateboard scene.
The teens often pick up "Monsters," extra-large soft drinks, at the Speedway gas station at Main and Central before heading on to North Park to hone their skateboard tricks and otherwise enjoy the park with friends.
That's synergy — the multiplying effect of a mixture of successful ventures lifting an entire area's economy.
Other perhaps more lucrative synergies are created by older folks stepping from the Sacred Grounds coffee shop or The Boro Bistro to peruse the latest art for sale at the Hidden Hill Gallery or new craft offerings at The Main Street Marketplace, The Fan Store for Panther regalia, or one of the other galleries or gift shops and other small businesses along this one-time main drag of Springboro.
Everything from guns and ammo — even taxidermy for the successful hunter — to insurance, personal fitness, a full-service salon and multiple church options, can be found on or near this walkable stretch.
Still, times are tough for merchants in the historic district. Many say most of their customers hail from elsewhere.
Passing traffic can make it harrowing to climb out of a car parked along Main or cross the street on foot. But yellow and white sidewalks melted last year into the asphalt at each intersection clearly mark where pedestrians should be able to pass safely.
And the city is exploring designs and financing for a sidewalk connecting the junior high to the historic district.
Meanwhile, entrepreneurs such as Carter are betting on synergies — or gas prices — to return vitality to the old heart of the city.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2261 or
lbudd@DaytonDailyNews.com.
