This may be old news, but we noticed a couple of new-to-us ”For Lease” signs today. One was in the space formerly occupied by Ardina’s Closet, in the Village Mall building. Tucked into a back corner of the mall, Ardina’s was an upscale resale women’s clothing store. Having very little need for upscale clothing, I never shopped there.
The other For Lease sign was on the side of a business I know a little better. After celebrating their third anniversary earlier this month, Dana and Nancy will be closing up shop at Eclectic Elegance. That crazy purple building has really brightened up Grand River, and we’ve purchased some unique and greatly appreciated gifts there – including Brian’s “I (heart) Downtown Farmington” t-shirt.
For Lease signs are still up in the former Bridal Panache dress shop and the old Exchange Bank building, transformed earlier this year by Cassidy Property Investments. We’ve heard a service-oriented business may be going into part of the Cassidy building. While retail gets a lot of attention, those service businesses do bring business downtown, through their clients and their employees.
While the For Lease signs may look like bad news to some, they could also be considered opportunities, openings for business owners who will come forward when the economy settles down. A group of Downtown Farmington business leaders believe that will happen. A story recapping last week’s economic panel discussion was published in today’s Farmington Observer.
–Joni Hubred-Golden
Publisher, The Enterprise
