Can New Benches Save Main Street? They are a Start, Advocates Say

To some Reisterstown residents and shoppers, they are just empty benches.

To others fighting to save the historic area from a fate similar districts have suffered across the country—a slow death in favor of mega malls and big box stores—they are much more.

Advocates of Reisterstown's Main Street hope the benches will be a catalyst for a reinvigorated retail district.

Besides the benches, , using part of a $15,713 grant secured from the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development, has sprinkled Main Street with flower planters and trash cans.

Reactions from business owners have been mixed to the changes, which Reisterstown Improvement Association President Glenn Barnes said are only the beginning of the effort to save Main Street.

He said the next effort includes plans to create public parking and a marketing campaign to encourage out-of-town visitors to come there to shop.

Many business owners applauded the new benches, trash receptacles and flower planters, but said they wanted to see efforts continue to create spaces for parking and a friendly environment for businesses and pedestrians.

Mary Leone, owner of the used bookstore, said she likes the improvements and thinks anything that can be done to make Main Street more inviting to potential customers is a good idea.

“Well, the more welcoming and more comfortable people feel walking around here, the better off we all are,” she said.

As it is, “more people are driving here, I think,” she said. "They’re not just walking up the street and discovering I’m here.”

Former Java Mama’s owner Rebecca Coyle agreed.

Although she said she thinks the improvements are a great idea, she said the benches alone are not what will attract more customers.

“The problem is that there are not enough interesting places in Reisterstown yet to generate the foot traffic that would make the benches be helpful,” she said.

Jemma Vance, a co-owner of , said targeting female shoppers could increase business along Main Street.

“If you’re going to beautify it, you need more flowers, brightness and more accents to get more women to come down and shop,” she said. “If you have to walk three blocks to see one little planter, that doesn’t make any sense.”

Tina Johansson, owner of , said the street needs more antique shops like hers, because that is what originally made up a majority of businesses.

“I remember when I was 24, there were 58 antique dealers here on the street,” said Johansson, who has been in business on Main Street for 38 years. “That’s what brings people down here.”

Johansson said she is having the new trash cans relocated from her storefront. She said she is concerned that when the heavy metal lid is removed, it could easily come crashing through her storefront window.

The new touches to Main Street just “add to the charm of the neighborhood,” said Joelle Friner, owner of .  “But I would love to see more antique shops here.”

The new items on Main Street have spurred some businesses to join in on the improvement efforts, said Barnes.

Some have placed flowers planters of their own in front of their business, he said.

“That’s what we’re hoping—we could start by putting these items in there,” he said. “We would like to line Main Street with planters and flowers to give it a more cheerful, fresh look. ...  If it’s dirty, and there’s no place to sit and no place to park, why would somebody visit?

“As it is, we’re more or less a drive-through.”

Patch Editor Lisa Rossi contributed to this report.