No slump
for Centre Street, some say
By
Lindsay Crudele/ Staff Writer
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Now may appear to
be the winter of discontent for business in West Roxbury.
Over
the past few months, Centre Street has bid adieu to a number of
businesses, including some old standbys. Notably, both ice cream
shops, Yoo Hoo's and Friendly's, vacated their premises.
But
local organizers said that change is necessary, and the vacancies
are part of a normal, healthy cycle of business turnover. To anyone
who says Centre Street is losing its commercial edge, community
leaders said that is not so.
"I
think a lot of people who say that have no idea what it means to run
a small business," said District 6 City Councilor John Tobin.
He
cited statistics saying that most small businesses close between
three and five years after opening.
"It's
a monumental undertaking; the personal investment, the loans you
take out, the hours you put in are gigantic," he said.
But
as for a perception that businesses are leaving the area, Tobin said
that's bunk. Really, what people are seeing, he said, is normal,
healthy change and turnover.
"There
has been a lot of change in the business community, and change is
hard for people," he said. "Every business has a shelf life, and
nothing lasts forever."
Tobin
noted Fontaine's Restaurant, there for decades, Hanley's Bakery and
Slyne's Deli since 1972.
"Friendly's,
I assure people, will be replaced shortly. There have been a lot of
bids for that piece of property," said Tobin.
He
recalled what he described as "wringing of hands" when businesses
changed hands when he was a child, such as Dunn's Meat Market and
Doot's Delicatessen.
"We
move with the times," he said, "and keep moving ahead. We don't like
to see them go, and change is hard. But I choose not to complain
about businesses leaving. You help the ones that are here, and we
work hard to get someone to take their place when they go. If
anyone's going to try and suggest to me that Centre Street and
Spring Street are not a whole lot better off than four or five years
ago, they just want to complain."
Tobin
said the street has seen a return to vibrancy, and in a few months,
three new restaurants will offer cuisine from multiple
continents.
"They
just have to be conscious that businesses don't just fall out of the
sky," he said.
The
longevity of many of the businesses leaving is a testament to the
unique, nurturing nature of West Roxbury business, said West Roxbury
Main Streets Director Kelly Tynan.
"As
with a lot of things in life, there's always going to be turnover,"
she said. "There's just a significant amount lately, but with a lot
of the vacancies, you need to work in order to fill the
vacancies.
"Many
of our business owners have been retiring because they've been doing
this for so long, and not every community can have someone last more
than 20 years," she said, noting the House of Leslie Jewelers,
Slyne's and Shoes & More.
Over
the past year, she said there have been a number of success stories,
such as the Real Deal, which replaced Slyne's spot.
"There's
some really good change," she said. "It's progress. Last year was
huge, but this year is even bigger."
Lindsay Crudele can be reached at lcrudele@cnc.com.
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