Business & Tech
Vacant Buildings to be Transformed for Dickens Festival
Landlords and realtors unite with Arts Council to put Port Jefferson's best foot forward at the 15th Annual Dickens Festival.
Many downtown areas are affected with vacancies in this tough economy and unfortunately Port Jefferson has been no exception. In an effort to enhance the Dickens experience for visitors and locals alike, the Economic Development Committee reached out to local realtors to get the cooperation of landlords in transforming their vacant storefronts into Victorian holiday scenes much like department store windows in big cities.
It's a winning situation for everyone. For landlords, the property is presented in a more appealing fashion and for Dickens-goers, the holiday cheer is expanded.
According to Amy Tuttle of the , three storefronts will be used as well as the Town of Brookhaven tax building. Last year, was the first year this idea was implemented to great success.
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When one of the storefronts was being decorated as "Fezziwig's Cider Alley", a nationally known insurance company decided to take on a long term lease in the building. The company ultimately took responsibility for making attractive capital improvements to the property.
Fezziwig's Cider Alley was such a hit that Maria Palmar of suggested using one of her client's vacant spots in Chandler's Square for the display this year. The landlord is hopeful she will have the same fortune in renting out the spot during a time that is traditionally thought of as a lull in the commercial real estate business.
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Over the course of the event weekend, The will be sponsoring story-telling, live music, free gift wrapping and photos with this year's Dicken's mascot, Oscar the Pig.
"Chandler Square is a micro-business community within our business community," said Barbara Ransom of the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. "It's a perfect spot for their event. Transforming these vacancies shows a level of energy and it helps the other business neighbors by bringing in pedestrian foot traffic. It also helps to add to the overall health and well-being of the business community."
Amanda Eckart is a senior real estate agent at in Port Jefferson. You can contact her at 631-404-2215 or by email at amanda@jprealtor.com. Visit her online at www.pjvillagehomes.com
