Jeff Ward: Believe It Or Not, That 'Store Closing' Sign on Merra-Lee Could Be Good News for Geneva Downtown

After the put that big white “store closing” sign in its front window, some folks said my column on the potential decline and disappearance of our downtown might have been prophetic.

Though I’ll be the first one to utter that supercilious four-word phrase, considering my love for Geneva's downtown, I couldn't bring myself to say “I told you so” this time. Well, that and I’m not so sure the demise of five stores necessarily means the end is near.

Still, it’s sad to see a business that’s been around for 82 years take that final lap. And , and will all soon follow.

“The fact is, our retail businesses at the corner of State and Third streets are no longer profitable,” Mike Simon wrote in a letter to his customers. “As landlord as well as merchant, I realize the Merra-Lee Shops need to close.”

I’ve spoken with Mike Simon enough over the years to understand that, as an astute businessman and an eminently reasonable landlord, he wouldn’t be closing those stores if there were the slightest hope of any kind of turnaround.

So to secure the benefit of another seasoned perspective, I turned to another downtown landlord, the for a lifetime of community service, Joe Stanton.

I can hear the hush falling over the crowd right now. That’s right! We’re talking the same Joe Stanton that so many of you threatened to bludgeon me over the head with when I said (wrongly) that he was not budging on downtown rents during a down economy. Since then, Joe, Rick Nagel and I sat down for a cup of coffee at 318 Coffeehouse, and I've come to appreciate Joe's unique perspective on downtown business.

Here's his take on the Merra-Lee closings.

“I don’t believe Mike Simon would ever risk the welfare of his tenants or downtown Geneva,” Joe told me. “This is a brilliant move by a great businessman. This is a good sign for downtown Geneva. Mike is confident he can fill those spaces because he believes the economy is improving.”

As far as timing, Joe added, “It’s prefect! The coming Christmas season will take care of his current inventory and those stores will sit empty during the quiet winter months, minimizing the impact on the rest of the downtown.”

“This is a well-thought-out plan that will benefit all of Geneva,” Joe concluded. “Eighteen months from now, people will look back on this calculated risk and say Mike Simon was 'smarter than the average bear.' ”

All reservations aside, I gotta tell ya, I’d much rather ascribe to Joe’s optimistic perception of this scenario than to my darker notions because two empty State-and-Third-street storefronts make me a bit nervous.

In fact, in an ironic twist that might scare the bleep out of some folks, Joe and I agreed on almost everything about downtown Geneva—except its ultimate fate.

We both believe that evening hours are an imperative to compete with Randall Road. Considering that competition, we also agreed the merchants need to come together and work for the betterment of all downtown. We recognized that both the city and the Chamber of Commerce need to come up with a coherent plan that will provide the basis for our business district to continue to compete in a rapidly changing retail environment.

In the end, what set Joe apart from so many folks I’ve dealt with is he wasn’t nearly as concerned about what some thought was an attack on him as he was with our contrary perceptions of where his beloved downtown Geneva was headed.

I told Joe, given the current situation, I will continue to have doubts about its survival, but if I had to chose between my downtown vision and his, it’s a no brainer—his wins hands down. His optimism is so contagious, he even had me believing.

Regardless of any store closing, there's one thing I am sure of. If our merchants are willing to listen to someone like Joe, downtown Geneva really does have a shot!