Posted: 3/24/05
Added parking, more signal lights suggested in city
By Joel Stottrup
Princeton downtown retailers do not fear a big box retailer such as Wal-Mart coming to Princeton.
Their concern is that the city must deal with such ongoing issues as parking, traffic congestion and customer service and store selections being the best they can be.
That's a summary of what Bob Sirchia, co-owner of Frank Pharmacy and spokesperson for the downtown visionary committee, said in a short address to the city's economic development authority board last Thursday in City Hall.
Planning commission chairperson Deb Burroughs, in the audience, commented afterward that she thought Sirchia's comments were well done. Fellow visionary committee members Carol Ossell and Deb Trulson also were at the meeting. (Other members on the visionary committee are Darla Rosevold and Elaine Hierlinger.)
Sirchia, according to the unofficial minutes of the EDA meeting, talked about the many rumors circulating in Princeton that a Wal-Mart will be coming to town. (No Wal-Mart plans to move here have been substantiated through the Union-Eagle keeping in contact with city development planner John Tofte.)
Merchants who have met to talk about rumors of a big box retailer coming to Princeton, have decided they don't want to worry about such a thing happening, Sirchia told the EDA board. Instead, he said, they just want their businesses to succeed in the downtown, and keep shoppers coming.
One of the ways that the visionary committee decided that downtown merchants and the city's elected officials could work toward that end, Sirchia told the EDA members, is to improve customer service.
Sirchia, in an interview late last week, reiterated that and explained that one way of improving customer service is to improve traffic control. Sirchia suggested that two more signal lights should be added on Rum River Drive in the downtown - one at the intersection of Second Street South (Bremer Bank corner) and one at Second Street North (Legion club corner).
It's difficult for pedestrians to cross Rum River Drive where there are no signal lights, said Sirchia. He also noted that many pedestrians now don't go to the crosswalks, but cross in mid block.
Sirchia said he was asked by the EDA if there should be more signal lights on Rum River Drive, which is a county road, and he answered yes. It would improve the downtown traffic and pedestrian situation greatly, he said.
Sirchia also said that his committee wants public input on how the city could maybe add downtown parking.
(One downtown merchant commented last week that it's a shame so many employees park their vehicles all day next to the business they work at, tying up those places so customers can't park there. That sentiment has been expressed off and on over the years in Princeton and sometimes retailers have suggested that the employees not park so close to their business for extended periods of time.)
Sirchia, last week after the EDA board meeting, also suggested that the downtown could have more creative lighting. Sirchia has expertise in creative lighting, and he and the other co-owner of Frank Pharmacy, have made seasonal creative lighting displays on their storefront.
"One of the goals is to make the downtown as consumer friendly as possible," said Sirchia. "It's an easy concept. People shop where they are most comfortable. But people also shop where there is a great selection of goods and services and it is easier to park."
Meanwhile, the downtown retailers have more practical concerns, said Sirchia, namely the vacant business buildings. He named the former Sladek's grocery spot, as well as the former downtown location of Ryhti Fireplace and Lighting, the former auto parts store now vacant across from the Legion club, and the former Liberty Bank location, as examples.
Now the Legion building could be sold and retailers are wondering what will happen with that building, Sirchia added.
The trend of having "four or five major buildings in the downtown empty, I think is a trend we want to reverse," said Sirchia. He added that he would like to see those buildings be occupied by businesses with products that "people want to buy."
Sirchia added that he is "thrilled" by what looks to be an Italian food restaurant opening in the downtown.
Sirchia had told the EDA board how attractive Stillwater has become and has thus attracted a lot of tourists. Sirchia, asked about that later in the week, said that Princeton could never become like Stillwater. But some of the ideas that have been used in Stillwater could be tried in Princeton, he said. (Stillwater has a lot of specialty shops and antique businesses.)
Whatever is done in Princeton's downtown, will have to be an effort involving government, businesses and the chamber of commerce, and also has to involve gathering more ideas, said Sirchia.
EDA member Charles Snustead, at the EDA meeting, suggested that the Princeton downtown visionary committee contact something called Hometown Minnesota. He noted that he had attended a workshop based on Hometown Minnesota. City development planner Tofte said that the Initiative Foundation has recommended that the city join Hometown Minnesota and that the fee is $200.
The EDA board then passed a motion to appropriate $200 from the EDA's budget for the city to join Hometown Minnesota.
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