Can downtown Wellington be saved? Consultant says yes, with some changes

WELLINGTON — A consultant said revamping the village's historic downtown could bring more dining and spaces for arts and culture. Between sky-high inflation and rent hikes, shop owners are scared for the future, said Rich Saccardi, president of the Main Street Wellington board. Those with deep roots — "the old-time stores" — are OK, but those who haven't had decades to build customer loyalty are just barely hanging on, he said. Formed as a nonprofit in 1998 to promote the business community, Main Street is sounding the alarm, warning that the downtown district along state routes 58 and 18 is in danger of disintegrating. So it used a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant worth an estimated $13,000 to hire consultant Ben Levenger, who spent the past week examining Wellington's assets and issues. On Tuesday, he visited every open business, talking with workers and looking at buildings and infrastructure. "The good news is your town's mostly intact," he said. "We've visited 200 towns across the country, and we've been in places where there's nothing left because they all got burned down or fell in on themselves. You have pretty good buildings to begin with, you just need to encourage people to do more with them." Completely overhauling downtown Wellington would cost $5 million per block, he estimated. That's clearly not in the cards. Neither Main Street nor the village itself has that kind of capital. "So we need to figure out what to do right now while you build and revitalize your downtown to get more tax benefit, to be able to take on bigger projects," Levenger said. Residents told him through the week what they want: upscale restaurants, a bookstore, more predictable business hours, outdoor benches, outdoor dining and gathering areas for festivals. Levenger said Wellington is in a good starting position to make those dreams become reality. There's ample traffic, great storefronts and diverse businesses, he said. Levenger dismissed complaints about limited parking. There's plenty — the same people who insist on parking directly in front of a shop have no problem walking three times as far at Walmart, he said. Wellington should better manage its parking spaces, he said. The village needs to better mark spots for two-, four-, eight-hour and overnight stays. For Saccardi, storefronts that have remained empty for years are the biggest issue. "It seems like if you have a lot of vacancies, it deters from the character of the village," he said. "If we got the right businesses in the vacancies, it would attract the right businesses to come in." Levenger said that in many cases he supports the use of local ordinances to penalize commercial landlords who allow spaces to sit empty. Wellington Village Council has debated going that route several times over the past decade. But Levenger said he doesn't think residents are ready for that step. Officials haven't done enough yet to provide landlords with incentives, he said. They should try that before resorting to fines. He also said some stores aren't actually vacant, but are being used for long-term storage. That may not be the best use, but it's a valid one, Levenger said. "You have to be cognizant there are two sides to this story," he said. "It's not just about what you see on the outside." Levenger said more crosswalks are needed, along with bike racks, benches, awnings and greenery. Noise is an issue keeping people from shopping downtown, he said. The area's underground infrastructure is in bad shape, lighting is outdated and many properties need costly maintenance. The consultant's long list of recommendations includes creating an arts and culture district, using alleys for additional dining space, converting upper floors to professional offices and convincing village officials to reconsider old regulations. Main Street Director Jenny Arntz said Councilman Mark Bughman was involved in strategic planning talks with Levenger through the week. She said she hopes other Council members will get on board: "I think they are invested, but I think their attention is on other things," she said. Business owners have scheduled a meeting with Council at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, with the intent of "opening the lines of communication" and getting commitments on a path forward for downtown, Arntz said. They should focus on creating gathering spaces, Levenger said. Arntz agreed. She wants to see more picnic tables, performance spaces and for downtown's wide sidewalks to get more use. Levenger suggested building a "comfort station" on Depot Street with public bathrooms for travelers, more parking and a green space for dog-walking or events. The Herrick Memorial Library's parking lot and green space were also pegged as an ideal place for festivals and celebrations of local history. Another proposal is the creation of a makerspace at 126 Herrick Ave. to serve as an anchor for artists and downtown programming, including conferences. But Levenger's hottest take is one that could anger residents — he said attitudes need to change. "I feel like this town needs to learn how to listen to one another better," he said. "But everybody loves their community. It's just that there's a lot of what we would describe as 'alpha personalities,' and they all want their way, not a compromised way." Wellington's "old guard" residents are resistant to change, Levenger said. They exclude new neighbors and "appear to be stuck in their own ideas," unwilling to negotiate or compromise. In his eyes, the town is a "standard rural community that's pushing back a little bit on modernization." Arntz said negativity and apathy have made revitalization difficult. Too many people waste energy butting heads when they could be sharing a common goal, she said. The Main Street Wellington board voted Thursday to adopt a "heart and soul" program pitched by Levenger. It's designed to improve morale, trust and communication and fight apathy, Arntz said. She admitted that Levenger brought some hard truths to light during his visit, but said she believes his advice will be the catalyst Main Street Wellington has been searching for. "It's gotten a few fires lit under people," she said. "I'm hopeful. … We have a lot of work to do." Jason Hawk can be reached at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.