Opinion

Making nice

TBO.com
Published: September 20, 2012

Since 1912 Faklis Department Store and Shoe Repair, on Tarpon Avenue in downtown Tarpon Springs, has survived the Great Depression, the Great Recession and every economic blow in between. We suspect it would still be standing after a nuclear holocaust or zombie apocalypse.

These days, other parts of downtown are in need of some serious economic revitalization. The city has been trying for years to pump some life into the business area on East Tarpon Avenue and Pinellas Avenue but a number of factors, including the anemic rebound following the 2007-2008 real estate and financial market collapse, have gotten in the way. So to date those efforts have only met with, to be charitable, moderate success. Perhaps the best that can be said of them is they haven't created the sea of redevelopment-related budgetary red ink threatening to sink the city of New Port Richey.

Another negative factor has been the sense, right or wrong, that whatever helped downtown businesses might not be good for the Sponge Docks tourism district.

There may, however, be some progress on this front. Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce President Sue Thomas has been hailing an agreement under which the Sponge Docks Merchants Association will work to boost the downtown business climate as well.

To the idea of both sets of merchants working for the common good, Thomas says, "What a concept." We agree.