Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 15, 1993 TAG: 9309150043
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-9 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
And some of those groups were formed at times when the economy was booming, unemployment was low and there was no competition from malls, Alex Rygas told the organization that approved its charter about a month ago.
"Under the best of circumstances, the acceptance of these merchants' councils were at best mediocre," he said.
On the other hand, he said, this is the first time so many downtown Pulaski business buildings have been occupied and there has been so much enthusiasm about working together.
"I can't remember this much excitement as far as the town's concerned," he said.
He said the alliance has a real chance to make headway as an organization and its members as individual businesses.
But he said bickering continues to be a problem, and cooperation on parking seems difficult to overcome. He said downtown merchants and their employees must realize that, if they gobble up all the parking space, there will be no places left for their customers.
Rygas said the choice is to work together or "continue to argue and bicker and consequently commit economic suicide."
The alliance is working with Pulaski County to find parking-lot spaces that can be leased to merchants, freeing street space for customers.
Its representatives also will attend Thursday's meeting of the Pulaski Main Street board to request that the alliance become a committee under the Main Street program.
Pulaski's revived Main Street program has been responsible for bringing so much new business to previously empty stores in downtown.
by CNB