Yesterday I was observing as to how the 'mix' is off on the stretch of Downtown Stoney Creek on the south side of King from Lake to Mountain Avenue. And while nobody involved should be pilloried, it's a great explanation as to why we don't have thriving commerce in our village core, why parades are problematic, why the notion of a festival is about as absurd an idea as one could possibly come up with.
Well, I have another illustration for you.
Understanding that I'm being entirely arbitrary here...including listing the Elm Street Plaza as one retail entity, and not defining a 'service' as being 'retail'...
...if you examine the businesses (including vacant lots and unleased properties) in Downtown Stoney Creek, from McDougal's/Canada Trust and King & Elm to Young's Convenience at King & Lake, and you categorize them as 'retail' and 'non-retail', here's the tally of the former against the total:
17/38
Seventeen of thirty-eight locations are retail.
Twenty-one of thirty-eight aren't.
Not only that, only one of those 'retail' businesses is actually what can reasonably referred to as a 'primary draw'. (The Village Restaurant)
OK; so what should the numbers be?
Obviously, a healthy mix of retail and services is ideal. I'd say that retail should probably constitute three-quarters, or 75% of available locations.
So in Downtown Stoney Creek, what we should see is roughly:
28/38
(I'd be inclined to prefer this to be thirty.)
Moreover, there needs to be at least a half-dozen that are primary draws.
As I strolled through the downtown yesterday, realizing a nice game of street hockey could be played with hardly any calls for 'CAR!', I couldn't help but wonder if things will ever change.
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I'm always interested in feedback, differing opinions, even contrarian blasts...as long as they're delivered with decorum...with panache and flair always helping.