"We need to decrease the supply of vacant (retail) space. That's why we are trying to do this," Dominic Accetturo, a commercial real estate broker with GVA Kidder Mathews, said last week.
Accetturo has been talking to downtown property owners and managers. His partner in the project, Patricia Lecy-Davis, owner of Embellish Salon and president of the business group Go Local, is charged with recruiting businesses that may be interested in such a deal.
Lecy-Davis said that while there's a focus on recruiting larger businesses to the downtown core – the key lies in filling in the smaller vacant spaces.
"Until we fill the pockets with unique offerings and (create) some energy, there isn't going to be a reason for someone to locate here," she said.
She envisions filling the space with groups of artists selling their wares, local T-shirt and fashion designers, or farmers-market merchants looking for a winter venue.
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