What Should Take the Former Laundromat's Place in Sussex?
The old Laundromat on Main Street has been vacant for months. Have any suggestions?
Consider this your virtual way of reaching out to Sussex officials, a modern spin on going to the CDA and Plan Commission meetings to submit your comments.
Each week Sussex Patch will be taking a vacant building or plot of land in town and turning it over to our readers to decide what they think should be in the space. Forget about the complicated regulations, the zoning restrictions and everything else that might put a wrench in your genius idea.
Plain and simple: What business do you want in this specific location?
For the first week of our column we'll start with one of the most visible and accessible pieces of commercial real estate currently up for lease: the empty storefront between Anytime Fitness and the new Marcileno's Pizzeria and Grill on Main Street.
What once was a Laundromat is now a 3,000-square-foot concrete structure with dusty windows that could really use some T.L.C.
"The owner of that building was running that Laundromat, and some things started to break so he just decided to close sometime over the course of the last year," said Jeremy Smith, the village administrator.
In passing, an employee at Marcileno's Pizzeria said the owner, Marvin King, mentioned the idea of buying the adjacent property and transforming it into an additional dining space for his pizza restaurant.
That specific multi-tenant building sees an average annual daily traffic of 10,200 people, so whatever takes the Laundromat's place could see a lot of business.
However, it's been closed for months, so the real question is:
Joseph
7:15 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
I would love to see a firearms store, but the council prefers to infringe upon people's right to self defense. With that said, it isn't the villages job to put businesses anywhere. It's job is to make good laws that protect the people and make Sussex a place to do business. Let the market decide.
Lisa
7:26 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
This won't fit in that location but i really wish we had a Woodman's close by. And I've said this on patch as many times as I get the opportunity. For those who havent been to Woodmans...well wouldn't you llike to get 10 cents green peppers, 40 cents for head of lettuce, $1.50/lb. ground chuck? Okay so those things aren't always available at those prices because they are marked down items but you can't beat those prices when available. I've seen green peppers for that price a lot lately. Also was able to find free pomegranates, box of onion soup mix for 25 cents after coupons, and I believe their milk is around $2.50 all the time and there are often store coupons for saving even more on dairy and meat.
Pete
8:16 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
I like the Idea of a fishing / hunting store but I doubt it could compete with Cabelas and Gander Mountain. Another thought is a wine and micro beer bar, offering tastings and reatil sales, although the liquor store would oppose this. I am not proposing another full service liquor store but a high end wine store with a select few microbrews. There are a few of these around the area and seem to be doing OK.
Heide Carlson
8:43 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
I would like to see a clothing store (Fashion Bug) or a Dollar Store.
Dyan Brinkman
11:29 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
We had a Dollar Store, it didn't last long at all. (it is now Anytime Fitness).
Tammy
12:45 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
I agree - I would love to see a Fashion Bug. Other thoughts...Stonecold Icecream! or Bath & Body! Jimmy Johns!
Andy Ambrosius
12:59 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Ugh - Jimmy. Johns. I think that would be perfect here.
Jill Lane
9:36 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
A bakery would be nice.
Craig Gierach
9:54 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
How about a good, old-fashioned arcade with a small snack bar..?
Joseph
10:07 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
While a neat idea, I've not seen an arcade in years. Do they still exist besides Chuck e Cheese?
Jodi
12:07 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Flabbergast has an arcade (50 games), however it's geared towards younger kids who are also there for the inflatables and indoor play structure. It's definately not a hang out spot for teens.
Janet L. Goocher
10:40 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
How about a place for all the teenagers? We have so many and they need a "hang out" place. It's not fair if we don't start thinking of these kids who have no place to go. We have so many teenagers and young adults what about them? If we want to make this world a better place we have to stop complaining about all the bad stuff kids get into and think about what they would like to do as well so we can make it a more positive environment for them.
Andy Ambrosius
11:07 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
I agree -- there's nowhere for teens to hang out in Sussex. Where I grew up, we had a 24-hour Perkins. We went there every weekend, drank coffee and ate quesadillas. It was the perfect place to bring all your friends and just sit for hours at night. Best of all, my parents didn't have to worry where I was all the time.
Joseph
11:21 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
While we don't have a 24 hour Perkins, we do have a 24 hour George Webb.
Andy Ambrosius
11:27 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
That thing is 24 hours? I forgot about that "two clock" system they have. Good point. Someone on my Facebook page just said she'd love a Dairy Queen. I thought that was THE PERFECT idea.
Dyan Brinkman
11:27 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Dairy Queen! I've wanted it to come in to town for a long time. With all the neighborhoods in town (where kids can walk to places) it would be the PERFECT business! I do like the bakery idea too...no where to get good donuts on a Sunday morning!
Me in the Falls
8:39 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Although a teen hang out is an idea from the right motives, teens don't spend enough money just hanging out to keep a business going. You don't see stand alone arcades because they are not profitable.
I would love to see some small, unique business there. A computer and electronics repair place, a nifty bookstore, a bike store right nest to the bug line (Bugline Bikes?), ...
Something useful, but unique would be nice.
Katie Mescher Glafcke
12:08 pm on Friday, January 27, 2012
I agree with "Me in the Falls" suggestions - book shop, bike shop, or other locally-owned business would be great.
And, if you haven't tried the cruller's from Piggly Wiggly's bakery you are missing out.
erik1779
8:44 am on Saturday, January 28, 2012
How about a nice dinner restaurant something other than those sports bars that sell mediocre food at best