John Wilton: Health of Village is Improving

All Seventh Street store vacancies will soon be doing business again in Garden City's downtown, a welcome sign of life during an economic downturn that's wreaked havoc on many local merchants. 

A burger joint will open at 150 Seventh Street, replacing Fianci's Paninoteca Italiana e Gelateria, which closed in late December 2009. The store front on Franklin Avenue that once housed Green Barn and more recently The Wardrobing Room will also soon be filled.

There's finally movement at the former Texaco gas station site at the corner of Seventh Street and Franklin Avenue. A pediatric dentist signed a lease at 520 Franklin Avenue and recently celebrated a grand opening. Long Island Luggage, which formerly did business on Voice Road for 15 years, is also making its way to Franklin Avenue. 555 Stewart Avenue is in contract to be developed though it's not yet an "executed" contract.

"The health of the village is improving," says John Wilton, chair of the Merchants, Professionals & Retailers group. "We have a good dynamic; it's healthy, it's vibrant, it's a place where people want to come to."

He reminded residents at the Garden City Chamber of Commerce's season finale luncheon that despite the movement, merchants are still coming up against a tough summer season when business in town tends to slow down.

"I just want everybody to understand that the local merchants, unfortunately, are still gearing up for summer," Wilton said. "We offset the summer months with our outdoor dining but that's not all the merchants. The merchants who do not have food have to suffer without the aspect of an increased revenue stream from dining."

Merchants, especially those along Seventh Street, have been encouraged to stay open - or open if they usually are not - during this Friday's annual Belmont Festival, which runs from 6-10 p.m. and is expected to attract hundreds to the village's downtown.

Wilton also told those in attendance to reach out to New Hyde Park Road and Nassau Boulevard merchants and urge them to get more involved. "Encourage them to interact with us," he said.

The Merchants, Professionals and Retailers group has had three meetings over the past several months with those merchants, Wilton said, to help dispel what he called an "unfounded myth" that they are the "step-children" of Garden City.

"We're here. We're open-armed," Wilton said. "We'd like you to get more involved."

He praised the local landlords who have lowered rents to help fill storefronts: "They've been progressive. They've had a good attitude dealing with us." Many are allowing tenants to come in at a lower rent and catch up in the third or fourth year in hopes that the economy picks up again.

Wilton admits, "It's the economy. It's not our village, it's not our landlords. In talking to people and dealing with people on a daily basis, to start a business right now and invest your life funds in it, it's a pretty scary set of circumstances. A lot of people don't want to go out and spend $350,000 on a build out."

Mayor Robert Rothschild, a staunch supporter of Garden City's merchants, is hopeful some aesthetic fixes to the village's downtown area could boost business. 

Included in the Department of Public Works' 2011-2012 capital budget is the replacement of the remaining concrete sidewalks with brick pavers on both the east and west sides of Franklin Avenue, north of Eleventh Street to Old Country Road, with the exception of the east side of Franklin Avenue between Eleventh and Twelfth streets and the west side of Franklin Avenue, between Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets, and between Fifteenth Street and Old Country Road and on Seventh Street, on the east side of Franklin Avenue.

"The board (of trustees) is going to take positive steps in the  next year to keep our commercial district strong, vibrant and competitive in this economic environment we are in," Mayor Rothschild said during his recent address to the chamber. "It is important for the chamber to continue to proactively educate all the trustees ... to the changing dynamics and needs in your marketplace and for the village board not to be short-sighted in allowing the economic restraints we live under today to negatively impact the face our commercial district presents to the world."

Deputy Mayor Don Brudie, at a recent board of trustees meeting, praised Wilton's work to keep the momentum going.

"You deserve our commendation because before you stepped up we were not as well informed about what was going on and since that time you have done so much for the merchants," he said. "You deserve our gratitude."