Is Decorating Store Fronts a Solution for Downtown Downturn?

Submitted by Robert Cox on Tue, 06/23/2009 - 10:26.

Aman Ali is reporting: New Rochelle may beautify storefronts

The City Council will vote on legislation tonight requiring landlords to cover empty storefronts with something more pleasing to the eye, such as artwork...The legislation, likely to pass, will require that street-level storefronts in the downtown that are vacant for more than 30 days be covered with "a graphically designed covering" or display art like paintings and sculptures. Both require the approval of the Municipal Art Commission.

Read the entire Journal News story here.

Sean Adams of WCBS 880 was in New Rochelle and reported on the storefront beautification proposal.

Cindy Perman of CNBC picked up the story: Make Those Empty Storefronts Pretty!

Meanwhile, in New Rochelle, NY, the town is getting ready to pass a law that is precisely the opposite: It wants to require landlords to cover up such empty storefronts with artwork or something more pleasing to the eye than a vacant window, the Journal News reports.

The New Rochelle City Government reads this site so...tell them what you think, is passing a law requiring commercial landlords to decorate the windows or empty storefronts a good idea?

Robert Cox's blog

Signage

Submitted by NewRochelle101 on Tue, 06/23/2009 - 21:38.

I have heard that the laws on the books in NR regarding signage are strict, similar to Larchmont, yet unenforced, e.g. no neon. Do you think that ugly signage on even the occupied stores hurts the downtown?

Decorated storefronts are a plus, however...

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 06/23/2009 - 15:22.

The fines proposed for the undecorated storefronts are very high ($2,5oo and $5,000). This is the one issue that is troublesome in the legislation.

More of the same from NR Gov't

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 06/24/2009 - 12:32.

From the same group that paid 1 million for the dilapidated building property across from the train station that was worth 300,000 at the time that was owned by the city's auditors, to the space shot ride that was supposed to be built to resemble the eiffel tower, to the widening and narrowing and widening of the sidewalks to the hiring of 1000,000 consultants from upstate to tell the people who live here what type of stores they need......etc.etc.. The democrats have controlled and mismanaged New Rochelle for as long as I've lived here. Instead of developing a master plan, they react. I'm not sure any of them could operate a successful lemonade stand.

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