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Making a vibrant and accessible downtown
Businesses grapple with low foot traffic while studies suggest solutions to increase traffic
At about 10 o'clock every morning, Stanley Caulkins steps out the front door of Caulkins Jewelers at 11 S. King St., Leesburg. He looks up and down the street with dismay at the lack of shoppers walking around the town's historic downtown. Then he steps back into his store.
“There is no one out,” he said.
Caulkins has run his downtown business for more than 50 years, and he said foot traffic has decreased in that time.
“I used to open my shop at 8:30 in the morning and I would have customers before 9,” he said. “Now I don't open until 9:30 and it isn't until 10:30 that I get my first customer.”
Mike Carroll, owner of Leesburg Vintner, which has operated from the corner of King and Loudoun streets for 20 years, said he has also seen a decrease in foot traffic, mainly since the Visitor's Center and Chamber of Commerce moved out of the historic downtown.
“People want one stop,” he said. “Now people go to the Visitor's Center, pick up information and then head to the outlets or Middleburg.”
Carroll has been able to sustain his business because of his loyal customer base.
“There is so much potential down here,” Carroll said. “But if they keep building strip malls, it gives a reason for people to go to them. It is hard for a mom-and-pop type shop. It is tough to start from scratch now.”
One newcomer to the historic downtown is Morning Glory Bake Shop & Tea, which opened on King Street in September.
Jennifer Kim, who co-owns the tea room with husband Ken Kim, said she has owned and run small businesses all over the area for 27 years.
“Leesburg has been the hardest town,” she said. “Usually high rental rates are a guarantee of high traffic. But that is not the case here. The rental rates are unbalanced with traffic.”
Kim said that she has noticed that the people who live in town don't even shop here.
“Tourists are more pleased with this area,” she added. “The younger people don't spend their money in this area -- they go to Reston Town Center, Fairfax Corner or Tysons.”
Uncertain of her business's future, Kim said, “I'm not sure if I'm going to stay in Leesburg because business is not good.”
Younger businesses trying to make it in historic downtown Leesburg have many challenges, said Scott Gustavson, principal broker at Windward Commercial in Leesburg.
He said there isn't enough inventory available to “create a dynamic, well-rounded and mature commercial market,” Gustavson said.
“Commercial real estate sub-markets from Reston to Old Town Alexandria thrive because they offer such a wide variety of commercial spaces – in terms of size, type and class. In the [Leesburg] historic district, rents tend to be rather steep because of the few choices available.”
“The risks of opening a retail business in Leesburg are very real,” Gustavson said.
With limited space, according to Gustavson, rents are driven up. While the limited space makes the historic district special, it limits the number of customers -- mainly because the small offices do not bring in large amounts of employees to shop downtown, he said.
Other young, but more established, stores in downtown Leesburg say business is going well, but they do not depend on foot traffic -- they rely on an already-established client base.
Kim Dziabis, owner of three-year old Madisonbelle, a contemporary clothing store at 5 Loudoun St. (just off King Street, the main shopping corridor downtown), said it is the store owners' responsibility to get people in the door, but there are things that can be done to increase foot traffic throughout the corridor.
“A good selection of retailers and restaurants is key to bringing people in and allowing people to get shopping done,” she said. “There are not enough stores in town that appeal to everyday needs.”
Both the town and private organizations have taken on the task of studying the downtown area to see what can be done to make it more vibrant.
Nine studies have been undertaken in the past five years to find solutions to bringing more people downtown. The most recent from the town is the Leesburg Retail Market Analysis, which found a “robust” market that needs to become more connected with the local customer.
That analysis, conducted by Arnett Muldrow & Associates, said the best opportunity for the downtown is to capture more restaurants and home furnishing, gift, apparel and other specialized stores – recommendations that echo current business owners' requests.
Working with what is available now, business owners depend on the draw of foot traffic from town events such as the Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival and Leesburg's First Friday Gallery Walks.
“We try to tie in with downtown events,” said Sola Pallotta, owner of Pink Shop and Very Virginia.
Pallotta also heads the Leesburg Downtown Business Association, a group of business owners whose mission is to increase traffic downtown and create a more vibrant atmosphere.
The organization works with all business members to promote the stores, especially during events.
“We try to get the word out about what's down here,” Pallotta said. “This is such a small town, we don't need to repeat [products], but we always want more businesses.”
As businesses gear up for the spring season and the events that come with it, the Downtown Improvement Association is waiting on a draft copy of the Urban Land Institutes's Technical Assistance Program.
The DIA, a private membership organization made up of downtown stakeholders, facilitated a study two months ago that brought 10 neutral experts into the town for two days to find ways the town can improve overall atmosphere and flow and provide new amenities.
“We have to be comfortable with new ideas and let them sink in,” DIA co-chairman Peter Burnett said.
The study will have a range of recommendations that can be implemented by the town now and in the future.
“This is really important for businesses to understand,” said Eyetopia owner Paige Buscema. “None of these [solutions] will happen without growing pains. The long term is more important. We have to get behind this -- otherwise, we will fade away.”
-- Contact the reporter at lwolstenholme@timespapers.com
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