Editorial: Survey offers clues for improving downtown

Published 11:27 pm Saturday, December 4, 2010

If downtown Dalton were really humming, you would have seen it Thursday night.

Instead of heading home after the Christmas Parade, the throng of people who came downtown to see Santa, the Clydesdales and the marching bands would have stayed to get something to eat, shop a little or grab a drink with some friends.

That’s the vision that many of us have for what we would like downtown to become: An active, economic development engine for the area that attracts people of all ages for shopping, eating and entertainment.

As a recently released survey done by the Archway Partnership shows, however, we still have a long way to go.

Overall, the survey of local residents found that 54.7 percent of the respondents said they are often or frequently downtown. But 53.4 percent said they seldom or never shop downtown and 32.1 percent said they seldom or never eat in downtown.

“That, to me, says we have people who come downtown, but we aren’t catching them,” said Kasey Carpenter, owner of The Oakwood Cafe and a member of the Archway Partnership’s Vibrant Downtown committee which is trying to figure out ways to improve downtown and make it more attractive area for people to come to.

The city has also made improving downtown a priority, and in particular is trying to figure out ways that downtown Dalton can become more of a destination for college students and young professionals.

Of the people who said they do come downtown, the survey showed that 39.4 percent said it was frequently or always for restaurants and 36.8 percent said it was frequently or always for professional reasons, such as meeting with lawyers, accessing government services or for banking needs.

Just 11.6 percent said shopping frequently or always brought them downtown, while 4 percent frequently or always come downtown for the bars and 10.7 percent said they frequently or always come downtown to salons. None of that suggests that downtown is poised to suddenly take off as a destination.

One thing that both consumers and business owners agree on, however, is that downtown Dalton needs more of just about everything.

Eighty-seven percent of consumers said downtown needs more restaurants, and solid majorities said it needs more ice cream shops, women’s boutiques and men’s boutiques.

Similarly, 75 percent of business owners said they would benefit from having complementary businesses nearby, and solid majorities said they would benefit from having more men’s clothing stores, children’s boutiques, women’s boutiques, ice cream shops, diners, gourmet restaurants and chain restaurants.

The good news, though, is that there is hope and there is a large group of people who want to see downtown be successful.

Many towns have transformed their downtowns from places that roll up the carpet at 5 p.m. into vibrant areas during the day, the night and on weekends.

Through its many events, Dalton already uses downtown frequently as place for parades, races and festivals.

Now the challenge is to make it a place that people of all ages will use more frequently.

The survey is just one more tool that should give us clues about how we can get there.

Because one thing is for sure.

A healthy, vibrant downtown isn’t just good for people who live and work downtown. It is good for all of us.