Existing merchants watch the changes

By JENNIFER HUFFMAN, Register Business Writer

Holding their ground, existing Main Street retailers are keeping one eye on development while remaining cautiously optimistic about transitions to one of Napa's central rows.

"Downtown Napa is changing, the clientele is changing. It's not necessarily a bad thing," said Vineyard Dog owner Cynthia Hipponia. While voicing concern over a non-retail tenant taking over a "prime retail space" on Main Street, She's feeling "very positive" about Main Street's evolution.

"We've been very happy with our location," said Hipponia. "We're lucky with our positioning next to Cole's and Annalein's for visibility and foot traffic."

"Obviously I'd like to see more retail. I'm glad Linda (Kloos) is staying in the neighborhood. We're excited at the opportunity to see what type of retail business is going in (at 1140 Main Street).

But downtown won't change overnight, she said. "People need to be patient and understand what they're getting into."

Joan Osburn of the Main Street hangout Cafe Society said she's "definitely noticing changes," on the downtown corridor.

"What we have downtown are plenty of wonderful restaurants. But I think that retail is not well represented in downtown Napa at all," she said.

"There's some wonderful retailers but we need a critical mass of good retail," said Osburn.

While Osburn wants to see more stores, news of newcomer Intero Real Estate didn't seem to bother her. "I think real estate is part of downtown, people should be able to look at the real estate in the window (when on vacation), I don't think that's a bad thing."

Located on Main Street for the past five years, Mike Silvas, president and CEO of Morgan Lane Real Estate, said "The foot traffic and the visibility (on Main Street) has been fantastic."

"I'm sorry to see the retailers go away but we don't have the traffic to support the smaller retailer," he said.

Silvas recommends more hotels in Napa. "They'll bring foot traffic," he said.

Even with Intero Real Estate Services opening almost next door, Silvas said he's not overly concerned with competition on Main Street, citing his 30 years experience and position in the local market.

Located at the corner of First and Main for 11 years, Beau Fleurs Flower Company owner John Prittie reflected on the evolution.

"I love to see new businesses coming in and the old businesses staying put and enjoying being downtown," said Prittie. "But we need more foot traffic, we need better parking facilities, and maybe more interest in general from the Napa community to come downtown and see what merchants are doing."

While Beau Fleurs' neighbors rely on foot traffic, a large percentage of Prittie's orders arrive by phone. "We're in a little bit different situation that other people.

"I feel like downtown Napa is moving forward and becoming more interesting to people as a place to shop and hang out and come for dinner, but we're not there yet. We're definitely going in the right direction but it is taking some time. We all just need to hang in there, if we can."

Chris Lyman, co-owner of a new Napa public relations firm working with Silvas' Morgan Lane seemed bullish on Napa. Lyman's firm has also signed on with Intrawest Corporation, developer of the new "Riverbend" condo/hotel project to be built between Copia and the River Terrace Inn. Working with Intrawest, Lyman plans to open an interactive "Riverbend Discovery Center" sales office on First Street.

"It seems like Napa is at a tipping point," said Lyman.

"Downtown has the feel of a small town but you have a lot of new things coming. It's going through a growth phase," he said.

Morgan Lane's Silvas agreed, "There's enough in the pipeline. Napa's becoming a destination," he said.

"Revitalization is going to happen," said Silvas.

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