Two Portsmouth Businesses to Close, Leave Town

Portsmouth residents will see the departure of two local businesses this month.

Consignment shop Second Hand Rose and both leave Portsmouth, with the former closing and the latter moving to Middletown.      

“Traffic patterns are changing,” says William McKay, owner of Fast Picture Framing, citing the reason for the move.

McKay, whose business was stationed in Portsmouth for the past 11 years, says that the drive to Portsmouth was too far for some of his customers, particularly those living on the other end of Aquidneck Island. McKay decided to close the gap, moving to Aquidneck Avenue in Middletown two weeks ago.

The change, McKay says, has cultivated some astonishing growth for his business thus far.

“Business is fourfold over what it was,” says McKay, “It’s been a huge difference.”

While McKay says he can’t be sure if that extra business is the result of the new location or simply a side-effect of being on hiatus for two weeks, the recent growth is encouraging.   

Owners at the Second Hand Rose, which has been located at 1965 East Main Road for the past five years, declined comment.

The loss of two businesses, however, is not necessarily indicative of a downward slope in the local economy.

“We have had a few other businesses coming into town,” says Bill Clark, director of Business Development in Portsmouth. “[It’s] somewhat like swinging doors; people coming in, people coming out.”

Though Clark notes that the last few years have been “quiet” for business growth and activity in Portsmouth, he’s been receiving calls over the past few months regarding available properties for potential businesses.

“It was a glimmer of hope,” said Clark in reference to the businesses and property owners that have considered Portsmouth for potential plans, “But the market’s been awfully tight.”

A survey conducted by the Portsmouth Economic Development Committee suggests another reason potential business owners face difficulty planning for Portsmouth.

Preliminary results of the survey, released in February, found that 68 percent of respondents had difficulty determining which regulations affected their case. Another 56.5 percent also found it troublesome to gather information about various town policies and regulations.    

“One of the things we’ve had a shortage of in the past few years is an inventory of ready-to-go buildings…[But] there’s definitely an indication that we’re headed in the right direction,” says Clark, acknowledging new businesses and available properties that have been popping up around town.    

Regardless of the economic future for Portsmouth, one former local has gotten positive vibes from his new Middletown location.

“I’ve had a very responsive reception,” says McKay.