<This is Dwight without his moderator hat on><br><br>My thoughts on Dumm's Corner, our town, and the economy. (I'll try to be brief!)<br><br>We moved here when Pete's proposal for expansion of his building was being considered by the town council. We, along with some others, weighed in with our opinion that 5 stories was just too high for that location. We also stated that we'd welcome the multiuse development there, but that we had some concerns about the market for condos, and shared our concerns that we would end up with apartments rather than condos. <br>
<br>I don't know how Pete and his family feel, but if it were me I'd be very grateful that the project got delayed when it did. Had the proposal sailed through, the loans made, and the project built in, say, 2007, imagine what it might look like now, given what happened to our economy. I'm guessing empty storefronts, no condos, a lot of empty apartments. <br>
***<br>I think this 'debate' gets so heated because some of us know Pete and consider him a friend, while others of us don't know him except as a business owner who lives elsewhere. Someone can be critical of how the place looks or what it offers or doesn't offer for sale - how I respond to that depends on various factors, one of which is my relationship with the owners. <br>
<br>All business owners are under a lot of stress in this economy - well except for the banks, maybe, but I digress. So, personally, I've scaled back my desires and expectations according to where the economy is right now. Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to see Dumm's Corner spruced up a bit (Oh, and we do miss the Hagen-Daz ice cream, but I suppose the downscaling of the offerings also reflect market realities, and anyway, my waistline is no doubt grateful for the little boost to my will power!). <br>
<br>The thing about the beer posters is, I really can't imagine that lures in any customers. Do people really drive by to see what this week's price on a 12-pack of Bud Light is, and decide to stop or not to stop accordingly? Somehow I doubt it. But what do I know? There may be research in the biz journals showing otherwise. Maybe Pete could brick up the windows and have a contest for a mural to replace them. Just an idea...<br>
<br>Personally, I don't begrudge them the bullet proof glass at all. If my son were working there, I'm sure I'd feel a little more secure knowing there was that much protection. <br><br>Before the crash of '08 it felt like our town center was perhaps approaching some kind of tipping point. There was enough interest from enough potential businesses that it seemed likely that the ice would be broken, Jemal would be renting, and things would get better from there. Then the bottom fell out and here we are.<br>
<br>But the foundation for the development of our broader Hyattsville/RP/UP/College Park area was already in place. We are seeing that now with the construction of EYA II on our side of Route 1, which will be bringing us some much needed and very welcome new merchants to our community. With historical and economic forces steering people back towards city centers, rather than further and further afield in the exurbs, it is safe to assume that our town will, over time, continue to welcome new residents, and with them, new market place demands. And new businesses will open and old ones will grow to meet that demand. When that happens, either Dumm's will step up and expand their product line, or someone else will step in. It will take time. And in our current situation, I'm not sure there's much to be done other than be patient, and have the town continue to be aggressive in wooing potential businesses.<br>
<br>Dwight Holmes<br>Just up the street from Dumm's Corner<br><br>