The Elmwood Village Association (EVA) is looking for input from the community regarding the needs of the commercial district. I’m sure that there are many needs that people can come up with, some that are critical to the growth of the street, some that are lofty yet obtainable, and even some that are a bit more fun when it comes to shopping amenities, public art, etc. The survey is partially intended to inform the EVA about the customer base that shops the street, in order attract additional businesses to the district. Much of the survey is checking off boxes, but at the end there is a blank section for comments.
I would like to start off by saying that my personal ‘consumer need’ is not necessarily along the lines of goods and services. Rather it is to make the best use of some of the spaces that already exist. We need to add more commercial density to the village. We have come a long way this past year as far as infill goes, but there is still plenty of opportunity to formulate a plan to bring an increased number of businesses to the street in opportune places that might be right under our noses.
An example of this is the storefront at the corner of Ashland and Bryant. It sits virtually empty. A couple of years ago someone rented the space for an office, but there has not been any sign of human activity in at least a year. When I was younger there was an artisan boutique in this storefront called Ashland Gallery. It was similar to Wild Things on Lexington in terms of look and feel. It pains me to see these types of spaces sitting dormant, especially when there are plenty of entrepreneurs who would go crazy for a corner opportunity such as this. If the EVA could work with the building owner, to get the corner back into a functioning commercial space, then there would be added room to house the list of Consumer Needs that the organization is currently seeking from the community.
Identify a hit list of commercial space opportunities, and we will find that many of business concepts will naturally fall into place. But it’s always good to hear what goods and services are most needed, so that the EVA can identify potential businesses to fulfill the community’s desires.
Click here to fill out and submit the survey.