Cup O’ Joe: Developing our downtown

Does the town of Houlton need to revitalize its downtown? Members of the Maine Downtown Center seem to think so after the town agreed to join the group as one of its newest “Downtown Network Community” members.
    The MDC was in the Shiretown July 25 to hold a “welcome to the family” meeting with town officials. As a “network community” the town will now have access to resources and data that other towns in the group collected, learn what has worked well (and what hasn’t) in other communities around the state and gain access to grant funds that otherwise were not available.
It sounds great in theory, and since there is no cost to simply join the network what has the town to lose? However, considering the majority of the municipalities in the group are from the southern part of the state, their input may not be as constructive as it would seem. What works for towns in the southern and coastal parts of the state may not translate to success here in The County.
Some of the suggestions bantered around by the group, which have been successful in other parts of the state, were to make downtown more inviting by placing tables and chairs along the sidewalks for people to stop and enjoy a cup of coffee or read a book while taking a break from their shopping.
Higher-end merchandise — like clothing — was also suggested, but how many folks here in the Shiretown can afford such items? Those that can, probably buy those items elsewhere.
Store hours could also be improved. Most places seem to roll up the carpet and turn off the lights by 5 p.m., even on Friday and Saturday nights. One would think that, especially on those two evenings, some of the eateries could benefit by staying open late. People who go to the movie theater have few options for post-movie places to go after 9 p.m.
There are certainly plenty of open storefronts that could be developed, but what exactly would be good ideas for those storefronts? Sitting around the Pioneer Times office Wednesday morning, sipping our coffee, the subject of the downtown meeting came up, which prompted a discussion on what types of businesses would be a good fit for downtown.
A “House of Pizza” type store was the most agreed upon idea. Having a place where families can go, sit in a booth and enjoy a pizza and drinks, without the services of waitresses, seems like an ideal candidate for the downtown. Add on a game room area, with coin-operated machines similar to those found in establishments like “Chuck E. Cheese” seems like a no-brainer to draw families. Considering there are only a handful of places where parents can hold birthday parties for children, a business such as this sounds like a natural fit.
An old-fashioned ice cream/soda shop was another popular idea. Houlton already has an exceptional vintage candy store, so why not an ice cream/soda shop, complete with the classic soda fountain theme? Add in some booths with a jukebox in a 1950s “Happy Days” motif and it could be a great tip of the hat to years gone by.
Sticking with the old-fashioned theme, a vintage toy store could be a hit. In the southern part of the state there are a couple of chain-type stores that have a line of toys like this. The Grasshopper Shop and Planet Toys are popular shopping locations along the coast since they offer a variety of products under one roof.
Some of the other ideas tossed about were a small grocery store; a Mexican restaurant; and a coffee house, complete with WiFi access for browsing the Web.
Houlton already has one of the more picturesque downtowns in the state, but getting people there is the challenge. For those who live here, the beauty of the architecture and the quaintness of its history sometimes gets lost.
Hosting more events to draw people to the downtown could only be advantageous. Last month’s Midnight Madness celebration is evidence of this. Hundreds of residents filled downtown to listen to music, sample cuisine and search for bargains. Blocking off the roads for more “street dance” events could be a way to get more folks out and about. Featuring different themes for these events — ‘70s disco, ‘80s hair bands, Hawaiian Luau, etc. — could provide a much-needed boost for our downtown merchants and that is something that benefits all of us.
  Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. He can be reached at pioneertimes@nepublish.com or 532-2281.