Downtown landlords need to adjust rents | Letters | March 27

Published 9:13 am Friday, March 27, 2009

Yesterday I spoke with yet another Winslow business owner who will be forced to close her store at the end of the month, due to the miserable economy and a landlord who is unwilling to accept anything less than her current rent.

And another store goes vacant.

I’m reminded of the Bruce Springsteen lyrics: “Now Main Street’s whitewashed windows and vacant stores/Seems like there ain’t nobody wants to come down here no more.”

Can’t landlords “work with” their commercial tenants, some of them longstanding, to weather this economic storm? Isn’t it better to get half of something than all of nothing?

It’s not like the old days when people were standing in line to pay ridiculous rents to start a retail store or restaurant. The greed years are over, and the landlords should get out of denial.

Shoppers can help, too, by supporting their favorite stores and restaurants now. If not, they won’t be here anymore when the good times return.

Rob Clark

Ferncliff Avenue