March 4, 2010

Businesses on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall are impatiently waiting for signs of spring.

Business leaders say that nearly one in 10 storefronts are empty, and the Charlottesville Ice Park may soon join that group.

Vacant buildings are present throughout the Downtown Mall, and they're not a good sign for the district's financial health.

"It's been a tough winter," said Bob Stroh, President of the Downtown Business Association.

Though many doors for businesses have permanently shut on the mall, they'll reopen in the form of new businesses. And as spring approaches, businesses hope to see more patrons.

"Cafes officially were able to open this week, and you've already seen a lot of cafes back on the street," Stroh said.

Within the next few days, a new stationary store and an art gallery will be moving in.

"We have two going up in the 500 block, but a returning business on the 200 block," Stroh said. "We're looking forward to having some new businesses downtown."

This is surprising for anyone following a recent study done by the City of Charlottesville. It shows a 9 percent vacancy rate in the greater downtown area.

Every six months since the first study in 2008, the rate has climbed.

"Hopefully, we're working on lowering the trend," said Chris Engel, the city's assistant director of economic development.

Warmer weather means more incentives to shop outdoors.

"We come out here for Fridays after Five and bring our grandkids, and they enjoy it," shopper Sandy Shiflett said.

Stroh said there has been a lot of interest in saving the Charlottesville Ice Park. He also said that buyers have come forward interested in taking over the Landmark Hotel space, but they need to wait for the legal wrangling to finish.