Downtown plans moving forward
After more than one month in his job, Logan downtown manager Bob Marcolese is seeing plans materialize for changes to downtown.
Last week, Marcolese attended a “Main Street 101” conference in Cortez, Colo., that included 65 communities from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.
“If people are knocking on downtown, then they have nothing to knock,” Marcolese said. “You would not believe with our committee process how on track we are.”
Having seen the state of other downtowns around the region, Marcolese said Logan is in good shape and has certain energy with everything that is going on.
At the beginning of April, the Logan Downtown Alliance sent out a survey in 18,000 Logan utility bills, asking residents what they would like to see downtown, or from 200 South to 300 North and 100 East to 100 West. Marcolese said the goal is to have the surveys back and the information compiled by
May 23.
To encourage people to return the survey, Marcolese said a drawing will be held for those who reply to the survey with one individual receiving a one-night stay for two at The Logan House Inn and another individual receiving a $25 gift certificate to Le Nonne Ristorante Italiano.
In the meantime, Marcolese said, he is looking at some name-brand companies about bringing their businesses to Logan.
“In the past, The Gap and Banana Republic have expressed an interest to come downtown,” Marcolese said.
He said contact is presently being made to those companies to re-open talk about locating in the community.
Marcolese said there is also talk regarding different restaurants
opening.
“There has been discussion of an upscale restaurant and boutique shops in the Federal Avenue-Church Street district, which would be coined the Greenwich Village of Logan,” he said. “Gandolfo’s has expressed a desire to come downtown and expand their deli into a bigger place.”
Gandolfo’s location next to Lee’s Marketplace in Logan would remain open.
With plans for new businesses coming along, Marcolese said, there have already been missed opportunities.
When Marcolese first took the job as downtown manager, he used Pier 1 Imports as an example of a store he would like to see downtown. Pier 1 Imports has since announced plans to build a store on the northern end of Logan.
“I missed the opportunity to bring Pier 1 [to downtown] by two weeks by the virtue of the fact I hadn’t even been hired yet,” Marcolese said.
Aside from retail and restaurants, Marcolese said he is also going to focus on creating an arts and cultural presence downtown.
“We’re going to celebrate more the arts and culture of our part of the country through expression of art and gallery walks,” he said.
Marcolese said relocation of Summerfest from the Logan Tabernacle is not going to be a big loss to the area, as it is only a temporary move.
“Hopefully, Summerfest will only be gone this year and it will come back downtown,” he said. “There has been discussion that the Logan Downtown Alliance would be responsible for running Summerfest, so now it will be a downtown thing.”
Marcolese said he envisions Summerfest being held on the pedestrian plaza by the courthouse in the future, but holding it there this year would not work because there is no electricity and water set up yet.
During the time of major events like Summerfest and the Cache Valley Cruise-In, Marcolese said, he would like to see businesses stay open later to serve visiting shoppers.
“People are going to be on the streets. For gosh sakes, open up your doors,” he said. “Bob’s going to come in with Uncle Guido and break your arms if you don’t stay open.”
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