It was a banner day. A letter to BOTH the News of Cumberland County and the Daily Journal was sent by a well-known Millville Personality chiding me for speaking my mind. Also Carolyne spoke her mind...
Just put down The News today (Friday, Dec. 12) regarding the advertising issue at MDC and the vacancies in the Arts District."Really glad people are finding their voices."Yesterday, as I drove passed the Union Lake Shopping Center, I realized how naive I have been in celebrating the new Vietnamese and Thai restaurants going in there."I have long felt the dearth of ethnic restaurants was the downside of living in here."Along with the aforementioned, no Indian food really changes the lifestyle Mark and I were used to in West Philly, home of countless ethnic restaurants which were the staple of our dining out experience.
"How long does it take to see the light?
"Those restaurants going into the new mall are the restaurants we need and want on High Street!"I was so happy to have them nearby that I didn't notice how wrong it all was. Dreamz Cafe is excellent, too.
"Gelato, in Millville.
"Again, this cafe should be on High Street. Imagine the difference it would make."After waiting at least a year, a Mexican restaurant opened. The food was good, but the menu, in my opinion, didn't offer enough lower-priced items to diversify the clientele.
"Four months, it lasted.
"In a recent e-mail, Marianne Lods said to the merchants, artists and others with a interest in seeing the downtown thrive that we should tell her if we hear of any good businesses that would like to come to High Street."Excuse me, but doesn't anyone involved in bringing the Arts District into existence have this responsibility?
"Shouldn't someone be out there cultivating businesses?
"The leaders of the Arts District are always connecting with other revived downtown leaders and visiting their towns."If they aren't scouting out businesses and ideas to bring back home, something is going terribly wrong."Businesses won't find us without hard work on many people's part. Naive again."I thought that is what MDC and the commission were charged to do.
"So the mall gets all the good non-alcoholic restaurants, while we get a new crop of fast food/Chinese places."We could play this as a strength."Welcome to Chinatown could be our new motto. I will pay for the new motto to appear on the marquee at the Levoy to kick off the ad campaign."That Chinese New Year celebration that was nixed last year is seeming more and more relevant as time goes by.
"Are the rents cheaper there at the mall?
"I have to agree with Kim Ayres, perhaps with a bit of a twist on the reference that the process has gone to hell!"Maybe less drama and more proactive planning on business development is the answer."Just call me nothing to lose and terribly naive,
- Carolyn Krull
and BEN responds
If you're part of the Bridgeton revival consortium or city council, read the letter again.
It pertains to you, too.
5 comments:
Millville First at work, AGAIN! Yes, there is no doubt that these exclusive shops and restaurants would have located in the Arts District on High Street had it not been for Millville First. You see, Millville First voiced concerns with regards to the Union Lake Crossing Shopping Center. Once they did that, the Commissioner's were determined to have the shopping center regardless of whether it was in the best interests of the downtown area or not. Millville First has concerns, we'll show them. Had Millville First not gotten involved in the Shopping Center, it is possible that project would not have happened and High Street would have benefitted from the ethnic restaurants. Instead we end up with Check Cashing, Save-A-Lot and Chinese. Sooo Rong!
This is all about the MDC asleep at the wheel. I think Ms. Krull's article in the BEN was spot on!
I did like your Soo Rong..You do have a sense of humer which is helpful in Millville
Carolyn - to quote a self-proclaimed artist and friend of yours, Sour Grapes - Poor Looser.
Actually the reason that these businesses located at the shopping center and not High Street can likely be blamed on a lack of concerted recruiting efforts to bring the sorts of business we need downtown.
The city needs a recruiting plan and an agency that does this professionally to manage and implement it. This is in the works.
As far as the shopping center being bad - the amount of UEZ money coming in is going directly to High Street - in this case to fund the Levoy.
Without the shopping center and that source of funds you can bet your life that the city would never risk as much as they are talking about now to take Millville to the next level.
It is amazing how many cowards are out there to comment, but when they have to identify themselves they all of a sudden become mute!
I've been to Millville. Downtowns like there us to be are nearly non-exhistant anymore.
That's an awful lot of money to be gambling with in my opinion. What if it's a flop?
Do you think famous people come to Millville to perform??
Millville seems to have several different groups that are trying to better it, yet, these groups seem to be working AGAINST each other.
Why not stop all the negative commenting, videotaping, etc. and learn how to work TOGETHER??
Sounds to me that would get better results then nit-picking at each other.
If you have issues with certain people then move past them for the good of Millville.
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