Ledger-Dispatch

By Kelly Enos (kenos@ledger-dispatch.com) =

In downtown Jackson is one of several = Main Street=20 storefronts that are now empty. With businesses leaving and = pressure from=20 the Martell Business Park, Jackson merchants and city officials = are trying=20 to figure out ways to revive the downtown business = sector.

Photo by: Kelly Enos

Merchants, Jackson residents and city = officials=20 attended a special economic development workshop Tuesday night at = the=20 Jackson Civic Center to brainstorm ways to solve Main Street's = business=20 troubles.

Photo by: Kelly=20 Enos
Merchants, residents, property owners = and city=20 council members all agreed on one thing: Downtown Jackson looks = "cruddy." That=20 general consensus powered a well-attended economic development workshop = held=20 Tuesday night at the Jackson Civic Center, organized to address an = ailing Main=20 Street suffering from a growing number of business = closures.

"This is=20 obviously a very important issue or you wouldn't have shown up," said = Amador=20 Community Foundation Executive Director Shannon Lowery in welcoming the = large=20 crowd. "Our goal tonight is to make a single vision of what you want = Jackson to=20 look like tomorrow."

Lowery explained that validating the = economic=20 dilemmas that are facing the city, along with developing a vision for=20 improvements and a strategy for implementing that vision, would be the = first=20 steps in making progress. "Of course you have been here before," she = said.=20 "There have been committees and groups deciding what would be best for = the city,=20 but actually developing a high strategy implementation and following = through is=20 what doesn't get done."

According to Lowery's statistics, there = are 94=20 property owners in downtown Jackson and 441 commercial parcels citywide. = Of the=20 481 business licenses that are held, 118 of them belong to merchants in = the=20 business improvement district.

Recent development in Martell has = taken=20 several businesses from Jackson, leaving empty store fronts despite = inexpensive=20 rent prices. The recent closure of WOW! Bakery on Main Street prompted = several=20 attendees to comment that the type of businesses they want to see = downtown are=20 the ones that seem to be closing.

"Jackson is the county seat and = has a=20 mix of all business types, unlike Sutter Creek (which) offers a quaint, = small=20 town feel," said Sue Oneto, owner of Sue's Shoppe in downtown Jackson. = "First we=20 need to create a reason for people to be here, clean up the crud and=20 functionally combine a village and commerce."

Other community = members=20 such as Gary Dorall felt the meeting was nothing more than a ploy to = declare=20 Jackson a blight and divert county tax dollars to pay for its = redevelopment.=20 "What Jackson needs is for the city to develop more parking downtown and = capitalize on walking to multiple businesses," he said via e-mail before = the=20 meeting. "The individual business owners need to show pride of ownership = and=20 create an ambiance."

Vice Mayor Connie Gonsalves brought several = designs=20 to the table, including making Main Street a one-way street, adding = diagonal=20 parking and cobblestone streets to effectively divert the "bypass" = traffic from=20 Highway 88. "Traffic cuts through downtown in order to avoid the turn = lane onto=20 Highway 88," she said "There will be opposition - there is always = opposition -=20 but traffic is a large issue."

Gonsalves came to the meeting = prepared=20 with pictures from a magazine that showed a historic downtown area that = had been=20 re-energized with what was termed "small town design" and was met with = approval=20 from a portion of attendees. "Appearance is a large problem - not just = Main=20 Street, but the entire city is an issue," said Sally Bligh, a local real = estate=20 agent with Amador Realty. "National chain stores are looking at Jackson, = but=20 there is a lack of commercial property here. In order to be a success, = you need=20 an anchor and major businesses are an anchor."

Ideas for city=20 revitalization leaned toward phased improvements rather than = concentrating on=20 one area and ignoring others in need. "I think we should stay with what = we were=20 built on, which is a preservation of the 'mine' look," said Toni Fancher = of the=20 Historic Jackson Business Association. "Something with a fresh look such = as=20 coffee houses - not the Starbucks type - breweries, wine tasting, cozy, = inviting=20 and something everyone is proud of."

The marketing of Jackson was = addressed by Merzlak Signs owner and city council hopeful Kam Merzlak. = "There=20 are 16,000 cars traveling to the casino each day," he said "How can we = cash in=20 on that? I think we should work with the casino on marketing Jackson = with maybe=20 a Jackson jackpot or other incentives to get people to visit here. They = would=20 get plenty of publicity out of it - 'the casino that spearheaded the=20 revitalization of their city' - it could be on CNN and FOX = News."

Despite=20 the plans being proposed and the committees that were formed, an air of=20 oppression hung over attendees concerned about a downtown corridor lined = with=20 vacant store fronts and a growing number of for rent = signs.

"Jackson is=20 just so sad to look at," said resident Michael Davis. "I come here to do = my=20 business because I feel sorry for the store owners, but really it is = less=20 convenient than Martell. We don't even have a grocery store near now = that=20 Safeway abandoned us. It's a sorry state."

Kelly = Enos