Rozi's has a store in another city. How does it work there?
Back in the days when dinosaurs roamed, and State Liquor Stores existed, we always located ourselves next door to the State Stores (Lakewood, Rocky River, Cleveland, N. Olmsted, Fairview, etc). It has always worked well for us, the state would select a location and we would move right in next door. Our Rocky River store is actually in its second location in RR. We were originall in Rockport Plaza from 1978 (next to the State Store) until about 1988 when the State Store notified us they were relocating to River Oaks Plaza. We simply found the space right next to them, made them an offer they couldn't refuse, and have been there since (we expanded into the State's location when the liquor licenses were privatized).
How did you find out about space available?
For us, simple, we followed the State's move. In our business, we've discovered the advantages of being next to the State Stores. We made an offer to the existing tenant and moved in.
Who is the first to shake your hand?
The landlord of River Oaks Plaza, they had us, a tenant who actually sought them out--novel idea. No City Gov. was needed other then the obvious inspections and codes to be followed.
Is there an ombudsman that helps you work through issues as they come up with the planning or building departments?
We have not encountered any issues with the city, our landlord has resolved any issues but you may want to ask them who they deal with (we are not the building owner so comparing our RR store to Lakewood does differ slightly).
Who approaches you with the opportunity to use programs funded by taxpayers to revitalize/rehab/upgrade the space?
It is rented space, the landlord.
Is there a "how to" booklet for working through the process?
Your response here...Google it!
I would greatly appreciate hearing about how other cities do it right. If you have any materials that we could use as models, I would be so grateful.
Whether other cities do it right or not, we are talking about Lakewood here. I could do your research for you but that would take the fun away from it, now wouldn't it? I don't have materials for this, check with the city, maybe they do.
To answer your other question as to how to find info about city programs, I think the first place most people go to for any information these days is Google.
Thanks for the refresher course on Googling 101, but why should a business owner have to resort to that impersonal measure when the City Planner and Mainstreet Program President are standing in the storefront. Are you suggesting that the next meeting (Tuesday at 9am with the Planning Dept if you want to be there) should take place next to our computer in the store so we can look up an answer? Flesh and blood were in the store asking us to spend money on their program that don't have answers for. Do you understand that as a small family business we are not dealing with WalMart-Style funding? It is not as simple as "hurry up and sign the papers so we can get this program started." We would love to be able to throw money around at your whim, but it doesn't work like that. You throw in some money from your own pocket and we'll be able to commit that much faster.
http://www.ci.lakewood.oh.us/dept_planning_DCD_cdbg.html
Had you told us this days ago, when you stopped in, we wouldn't have to rely on Google or the very helpfulness of other Observers such as Shawn (thanks again for the post/link). That is all I was asking, a place to find out what programs are going on. Now I may have taken your tone as "flip" in your response and thus prompting me to this long reply (my fingers needed the exercise anyway), but if I was wrong about your tone then I must have read this wrong. A simple posting, phone call, letter, response of the info for the website would have sufficed.
We are so willing to learn. I don't know anyone associated with Main Street Lakewood or the City Planning or Building Departments who isn't already trying to do their best and isn't open to learning how to do things better.
Agreed!
Corey