Avondale Estates recently held its first joint meeting of the city commission and the newly revamped Downtown Development Authority, coming at a critical juncture in the city’s business history.
Euramex Management has owned roughly 15 downtown acres for over a year but has yet to make a public presentation of its mixed-use plans for the property. Meantime the city’s oldest business, Ray’s Indian Originals, is closing for good next week, The Bishop restaurant closed last month and the popular Pallookaville Fine Foods is for sale.
“[Downtown] needs about 1,000 new visitors a week,” said Ed Rieker, who owns a downtown business and was making one of his first public appearances since resigning as mayor last year. “As it stands, people don’t think about Avondale as a place to eat and shop.”
During the joint meeting several short-term goals were discussed for the new DDA including filling three still-vacant seats in January, setting a budget, and re-organizing the city’s dormant business association. It was also suggested as a first step towards marketing to put city maps in every shop while also erecting a billboard.
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