By Gary Gordon Executive director Main Street Business Improvement Association
Thank you for your articles on Main Street (SMDP, Jan. 15-16 and Jan. 20, pages 1). Two quick corrections and some additional points: The name of the business coming in at Hollister and Main streets is Urth Caffe. It will hopefully be opening within a few weeks.
I am the executive director of the Main Street Business Improvement Association (formerly the Main Street Merchants Association). I’m not in charge. The association is run by a board of directors chaired by David Lackman, who owns Library Alehouse. Joe Pipersky (Joe’s Diner/Holy Guacamole), Lois Cunningham (Patagonia), Joel Mikkalson (Ritual Adornments), Todd Roberts (ZJ Boardinghouse), Jeanie Madsen (Sewjeannie) and Judy Abdo (neighborhood appointee) also serve on the board.
Regarding your focus on the new developments, while many are looking forward to new businesses coming in the Main and Marine streets development (“Sailhouse Lofts”) and the “Boulangerie” development on the northern end of the street, and many are pleased with the recent arrivals (Undefeated, What To Get, Aura Shop, Sewjeannie), it’s important to note that the backbone of Main Street is the merchants who have been part of the Ocean Park community for years (too many to list), and the neighbors who patronize and appreciate this unique business district. Many of these businesses, including Rick’s Tavern, World Cafe, Library Alehouse and Finn McCool’s, with leadership provided by Paul Diskin at O’Brien’s, and with the help of enthusiastic customers, just raised thousands of dollars for tsunami relief.
Despite some contemporary thinking, the success of a retail business is not automatic. Profits are not automatic. Retail business is a constant challenge, requiring hard work and creative thinking, not all of which always conforms to past practices, not all of which is understood or encouraged within the confines of the status quo. From a strictly business perspective, 9/11 and the economic “downturn” hit hard, and red tape and a failure in some quarters to understand or appreciate the impact of that and the fragility of the current environment continue to haunt us.
The work of the association is to work collectively on what we can to improve the economic health of the street, which contributes to the economic health of the city, knowing that there are larger natural events and human-designed obstacles that are out of our control — terrorism, tsunamis, rent — and need to be reckoned with, knowing that there are other obstacles that, with support and understanding, can be overcome so that this business district can continue to serve the community and compete successfully with others on the Westside.
We are looking forward to a great 2005. The new lights that will light up Main Street each evening starting in a couple of weeks are part of the improvement plans underway. It is an excellent example of the Main Street-City Hall partnership that we are continuing to work on, and special recognition should go to Gwen Pentecost in the city’s economic development department for her tireless work on this.
We appreciate your coverage as it serves to improve community understanding of the integral part small business and business districts play within the city of Santa Monica.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 24, 2005. Read the original PDF.