Friday, June 16, 2006

Saranac Lake is Not Dying

Saranac Lake may lack a large retail department store but it is not dying as many pro-WalMarter's claim. Two recent examples:


New retail space is being proposed to be built across from the train station on Depot Street. The building site is pictured above and was one of the proposed locations for a smaller, downtown Wal-Mart or other department store. Maybe the new retail space would be good for a community department store. Would it be a Wal-Mart? No. But it might be big enough to supply the necessities that many claim are difficult to find. Story here at WNBZ.


In other news, the American Management Association wants the village to consider annexing the old Trudeau Sanitorium property which is currently owned by the Association. The property is currently not on the tax rolls as it is a non-profit, educational organization. In return, the AMA would offer for sale several buildings which would then be placed back on the tax rolls.

Finally, some pro-WalMart supporters often claim there are many closed store fronts in downtown Saranac Lake. Where exactly are they?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can tell you EXACTLY where the empty store fronts are in town, as I walk the downtown a lot.
1) The store front next to Chickadees. It used to be Phillips Barber shop. 2) A store front next to I.B Hunt agency-it used to be The Coin Den 3) a store front next to the Saranac Lake Emporium. It used to be Aloa Vera Photography.
That's all folks, ONLY 3 EMPTY STORE FRONTS IN TOWN. Walk the downtown and see for yourself. So when anyone says the downtown is full of empty store fronts-challenge them. Ask them SPECIFICALLY WHERE THEY ALL ARE.
Two of the store fronts are up for rent, but the old barber shop has no sign in it so I have no idea what's going on with it.

Anonymous said...

Sorry I got Alice's name wrong. But at least I DO KNOW WHERE EMPTY STOREFRONTS ARE IN TOWN. Unlike CARD and everyone else who says our downtown is full of empty storefronts, and dying. IT IS NOT FULL OF EMPTY STOREFRONTS AND DYING. Get out of your car, and walk it sometime, like I do everyday.
I wish we had a few larger store fronts available for rent, but unfortunately, we do not. Perhaps if we did we could get something going into one of them other than beauty salons, real estate offices, insurance offices, and doctors and dentists.
It is very difficult to have any large amount of inventory when your store is only 600 to perhaps 800 square feet. Can't carry a large selection in that amount of space.