Drumheller will be welcoming some new businesses to the downtown area soon.
Although there may still be for lease signs in front of the properties on Centre Street and 3 Avenue West, they have indeed been leased.
Bob Sheddy, Commercial Real Estate agent for Century 21, said the four properties with these signs are leased which leaves only one or two vacancies in the downtown core.
“The other impressive thing is that I estimate another $100,000 of landlord renovations will be put into them to make them bright and beautiful,” he said.
“It is important for me to relay to my fellow Drumhellerites, that there are 60+ retail spaces in the downtown core so one to five vacancies in a recession is not unhealthy. Sometimes we focus on the empty spaces and don’t rejoice the entrepreneurship in the other 55 spaces,” he explained.
He told inSide Drumheller that downtown retail and office spaces are typically 1/3 of the cost of spaces along the highway.
“I have to applaud the administration and Council a few years ago, for making the decision to strategically pave parking lots in behind our downtown main streets, allowing the shop keepers to park in the alleys and customers to park along the main streets,” he said.
Sheddy said that he is “confident that downtown Drumheller is not dying. Retailers find it hard to compete head to head with big box stores. The downtown retailers that survive think outside the box and provide a service or specialty product that big box stores do not offer. This is the true definition of entrepreneurship, finding opportunities in the market,” Sheddy said.
Susan Kolenz, owner and broker of Re/Max Drumheller said downtown is not dead.
“It’s struggling right now and I think more than anything it is just the global recession,” she told inSide Drumheller.
“I truly believe that the entrepreneurs and business owners of downtown Drumheller need to stay open and welcome business to downtown Drumheller,” she explained.
“I think we are going to be here for a long time. Drumheller has been through this before and we are going to go forward.”
