Quote:
Originally Posted by fatlazyless
If anyone is looking for a small storefront to open a business, there's plenty empty space available. Suggest you go take a look-see.
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Things are not that simple in downtown. Several of the places have "reputations", (or the owner has a "reputation"). For example one of the downtown landlords was successfully sued by the state (after being charged extra by the City of Laconia for not getting any building permits for alterations). In that case, the business associates are suing the lead owner...
If you had seen the lease offered by one of the other business owners, you would know why the majority of units in that building is empty. It wasn't quite as bad as "if anything happens, its all your fault (and responsibility)"... but it was pretty close.
In another building, the business tenants have been leaving because problems upstairs have a way of trickling (or flooding) downstairs.
Personally I think the downtown is on the rebound and many good things are growing. If only the owners would support downtown, rather than try to bleed it dry financially, I think it would soon blossom. If the 11 retail spaces currently vacate filled, it would be a lot more vital. As someone who has tried to get a decent space downtown (emphasis on the decent), I wuld love to be there now.