In a time of economic downturn “Space for Rent” signs are not at all uncommon, and Oberlin’s cozy downtown district is not immune. Recent closings of two Main Street establishments — Polished Records and Tappan Square Cleaners — along with the impending closure of Dean’s Family Stores on West College Street, has puzzled Oberlin business owners and customers alike.
South Main Street’s Polished Records, long plagued with rumors of drug-related activity and students’ disdain for its limited musical selection, closed in January. The same month and only two doors down, Tappan Square Cleaners shut down business. The cleaners had occupied its spot opposite the post office for decades, but went through a number of owners over the years. Oberlin’s favorite discount store, Dean’s Family Stores on West College, is set to close by the end of March, according to owner David Grimmer, who also operates an Elyria outpost that he said continues to do good business.
Perhaps location is partly to blame. College Street businesses have more visibility, especially to College students and faculty, and pull in more business year-round, especially during Commencement Week, according to Erin Shiba, OC ’02, and Joshua Perry, owners of Matrix Games Oberlin.
“It takes a lot to get people around the corner,” Shiba said. A fairly recent but highly successful Main Street venture, Matrix Games, like many downtown businesses, is situated in an elderly building. Shiba noted that in the 1950s the space that Matrix Games now occupies would have been more than enough, but for modern day stocking needs, it’s too tight. After just six months of business, Matrix Games was already cramped for space. Shiba and Perry cannot display their extensive DVD selection because of the limited room.
Though Main Street has an apparent abundance of space for rent, much of that space is not suitable for rental, according to Shiba. Landlords often lack the means or desire to renovate old space, as is the case of the upstairs portion to Matrix Games. Though the space is empty, it is not available for rent.
Another problem is promotion and advertisements. “You have to have a hook,” Shiba said. “The key is to appeal to the College and community.” Without the joint patronage, a business could sink in slow summer months and Winter Term.
Rodney Rose, owner of 252 Tattoo and neighbor to the former record shop, has made it his mission to promote Oberlin to a more urban clientele. Rose organized a grouping of ads for local businesses that have appeared in the Cleveland Scene over the last few weeks, under the heading “Only in Oberlin.”
The half-page, colorful ad combines promotions for 10 downtown businesses and reminds readers that Oberlin is a short 30 minutes away from Cleveland and has “the quiet life of a small town, the services of a large city and the music and art of all the world!”
How effective these ads are in attracting out-of-Oberlin clientele has yet to be measured, but Rose believes that continued effort to bring in a diverse customer-base is what all downtown businesses need. Rose, who moved into his South Main Street space three years ago, is surprised by the lack of support he gets from students. His shop is equipped with four tattooing stations and a separate room for piercings; unfortunately, much of this space is underused.
“We originally put in four work stations, but we only need one working station now,” Rose said. Rose is fortunate in that the original 252 Tattoo, located in Columbia Station, Ohio (near North Olmstead), generates a good deal of business and thus it is less imperative that the Oberlin store generate constant business.
“We’re lucky to do enough business in the other shop to support this one,” Rose said.
For now, he is pushing ahead in true entrepreneurial spirit and possibly supplementing the group ads with brochures to promote downtown Oberlin businesses to customers from nearby communities who might otherwise be put off by the town’s eclectic, college atmosphere.
Around the corner, the problem with business on College Street is a need for more usable space. As part of the East College Street Project, three recent Oberlin graduates are helping to redevelop three acres on East College Street into space available for commercial rent, enough for four or five new establishments.
Sustainable Community Associates, founded by Naomi Sabel OC ’02, Ben Ezinga OC ’01 and Joshua Rosen OC ’01, is a development firm “committed to neighborhood development projects that are environmentally responsible, promote social equity and improve the quality of life in Oberlin,” according to SCA’s founding document. With the help of another alumni-headed group based in St. Louis, McCormack Baron & Associates and Urban Design Associates, SCA is busy with plans for East College Street.
According to City Manager Rob DiSpirito, the ECSP venture is moving along with the City’s support.
Employees of some East College Street businesses are worried that the new development may mean hassle. A Jack Knight Cleaners manager, who has worked for the company for nine years and wished to remain unnamed, said that she, and many of her East College colleagues, hope that the development does not come through. Though Jack Knight had been prospecting for the space left vacant by the departure of Tappan Square Cleaners, that move was not necessarily on the horizon, but an ECSP venture would mean a definite removal.