New Businesses??

Maybe We should all call the number above and let our opinions be known. There is strength in numbers :)

Al Jordan

I’d like to make a motion to RE-open some of the GOOD businesses that we’ve lost. I would like to nominate for reopening:

Leesons Department Store
Mangas Cafeteria
Inland Marine
Spark’s Super 98
Walker’s Machine Shop
The WHY store
The East Star Inn
Sutter’s Dairy
Nick’s

Did I miss any good ones? How come we lost ‘em? Can we get ‘em back?

Hector

I think you have done some homework jtaylor!!!

Now if we could just stop them from being "IDEAS" and make them become reality that would be GREAT! I think you have named some really great store ideas too. We definately do have the space, although I have no idea what the land value is worth. I am just a concerned citizen!!

I am soo tired of being made fun of because I live in Elwood. I moved away and came back and when I tell people that, they just look at me like "WHY?". But my family and friends are here. I work in Carmel, and Believe me-you can tell we are a nicer community with nicer people. So I am happy with Elwood, I just wish, like the rest of us I'm sure, that we had more businesses & entertainment here. I go out of town for the bulk of my grocery shopping (who can beat Walmart prices on a mommy budget) and whenever we go out to eat, I always go out of town for that as well. (Fast food aside) I would love to stay in town and have a great time-especially with gas prices!!

What can I do to help bring in businesses & entertainment?

I'm with trishasull, there has GOT to be some way we can market Elwood and go after new businesses. I'm not sure about the land value either, but the empty lot in front of K-Mart is rediculous, as is the empty building at South P/SR 37-Timber Roots? While not a mom, I AM a dad with a limited budget and groceries are too expensive in this town, with the exception of Dollar General Market on some items. Like it or not, there are a LOT of young families in Elwood now trying to raise children and make ends meet, but there's no entertainment here. No real reason for people to stay here OR want to move here. What are we supposed to tell our kids? "Sorry son/daughter, we can't go play putt putt, go out to eat, or watch a movie, because I can't afford the gas to drive to Noblesville." That's just not cutting it anymore. In order for Elwood to survive, we need to be self-sustaining. If not, we WILL wind up a ghost town. While I'm not originally from here, I feel that growth has got to occur in order for families to stay here. On another note, while I did get a "decent" response from YUM! Brands in reference to my email, I also sent the same email to Dominos Pizza. The response from them wasn't quite as cordial. All they sent me was information on how I needed a large amount of money($500,000?) in order to start a franchise. Yeah... I live in Elwood, that's NOT happening!
Hector, out of those businesses listed above, when were they around last? The only one I've heard of was Leeson's, and that's only because the Leeson's Building. Yes...I'm a young one. :o)

I am a small business owner. Being self-employed has been really rough on my family financially. We are a family of six living off my husbands social security and his part-time job working for the Salvation Army, therefore I cannot afford to advertise my massage profession adequately. People do not know I am available, where I am located, and my phone number. I agree with the above comments about bringing back some of the "ole'time" businesses. I remember reading in the paper where the previous owner of KFC said, "If we sell the building, we may concider bringing in a New KFC/Long John Silver". "WHERE'S the Fish/Chicken?".

I have a feeling that the only way we are going to get new businesses here are from local residents not any "Big Name" franchises. There's a problem, however, they NEVER last. Too many people such as myself are going to Walmarts and Meijers to buy groceries and while there, picking up other odds and ends that the local "shops" may carry. I feel bad to admit that I do go to Walmart to buy groceries and odds and ends but my goodness, I walk out of Marsh with 2 bags and spent $40 for just a few things and can get a whole cartful at Walmart for maybe $100. I am just hesitant on the fact that we will ever "expand the land" into a booming strip mall. I wish I had the $500,000 to open a franchise but I dont and not too many people do except the "big wigs" and Elwood just doesnt seem like a town they would want to invest their money into. I, as a citizen, see Elwood as more as I'm sure alot of us do.

Yes it is hard to compete with Walmart. I think something for the kids would be nice. Get them off the streets with something to do other than sit on church steps and walk to the streets looking for something to do. I think a Movie Theater would be nice place for the kids. But it takes alot of money and where do we get it? Maybe elwood starts a fund raiser so that every citizen can donate big or small to the project. It may take years but it would be something that the community can build together. I am a small business owner. I own Body Works. My business is based on the Economy. I have had a very successful 3 years here in Elwood and I am Busy every day with clients. I keep my prices low so that the people here can afford to come to me opposed to carmel or noblesville. When you live in a small community its all about the price. I can say that all my clients become friends and are very loyal. I think that with that said the people of this community want to contribute to our our growth we just need a little cash.

Have a blessed Holiday!

While I applaud everything said so far, I think everyone is missing what this town really needs. To make any small business successful there has to be enough money in the town. The only way to do that is to attract a larger company. What the mayor needs to do is figure out what this town has to offer and go out and market it.

With gas prices escalating, I like most people don't want to have to drive nearly 50 miles each day to go to work.

What this town has to offer-is LAND! I guarantee we could have some GREAT strip malls, or another department store. SOMETHING! But you are right-we need to have a large company come in and make the land value HIGHER! I'm a layman and therefore have no idea what needs to be done to attract such companies/businesses. If anyone does-lead us in the right direction, cause I would love to have Elwood a more successful place to live for my kids. They are young right now, but will be teens and I would like for them to have something to do, unlike me as a teen (and an adult for that matter)!!!

I was born and raised in Elwood. I remember as a kid all the businesses (major department stores) in Elwood. Elwood was a small bustling city.
Now there are empty lots where thriving busnesses once stood.
I have often wondered, what caused this decline? Why did so many businesses fail or move away? Can we learn something from the mistakes of the past? What outside influences played a part and how can they be overcome? Yes, we need more business in Elwood, large or small. We also need people to patronize the local merchants as much as possible to help build up the community so investors and entrepenuers will WANT to come, invest, and stay in Elwood.
My guess is it's an uphill battle to rebuild Elwood to it's former glory but certainly possible and worth the effort.
Unfortunately there's not a blue-print to follow, or a magic wand to wave. It will take allot of input and resources to get the ball rolling once again in Elwood.
Elwood deserves our very best effort, and why not, it's been a great place for us all.

I would like to see a Walmart put in at the intersection of 28/37. A movie theater would be great too!

Be Careful what you wish for. Below is a link to facts about Walmart

After you read it, you might change your mind about having one here!

http://wakeupwalmart.com/facts/#taxpayers

There may be alot of products on the shelves at Wal-Mart that are made in China, but has anyone looked at the products sold at our beloved K-Mart lately? I'm not disagreeing that there are lots of dangerous products imported from China on a day to day basis, but the fact is, they are everywhere we go. There may be a lot of costs to us as taxpayers whenever there is a Wal-Mart or similar store opened, as wakeupwalmart.com says, BUT for the City of Elwood and the Citizens of Elwood the negative far outweigh the positives. Look at the jobs a Wal-Mart would create here. Instead of renting nasty houses and apartments those people employed could rent better places to raise their families or purchase a small home to call their own. These people that we see walking everywhere on a daily basis because they can't afford a car of their own could possibly purchase one of their own. Wal-Mart provides grants and options for communities that they otherwise would not have. I know of at least one VERY small town police department in southern Indiana that has basically NO budget, they applied to Wal-Mart for a grant and were able to purchase Portable Breath Tests (PBTs) and in car cameras for their 3 patrol cars. I don't know how many of you deal with the criminal justice system on a daily basis, but these are HUGE assests for all departments. If these grants are available to public service, just think of the savings that could mean to the local taxpayers on providing gear for the police and fire departments. Like I said, I believe that the positives far outweight the negatives if you think about it. Isn't it worth a try?

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/amero.asp

Check out this link. We are not the North American Union and we will not have Amero's as currency.

froggychick

This is just one newscast about it. Search google and you can find out more.

It's true that Walmart is full of Chinese products, but so is most all stores now. It is a fact that Elwood needs something better. Walmart would create many new jobs for local residents. It wouldn't have to be a super-sized store, but one with a grocery section would be nice.

Another thing...
Exactly what does our Mayor do on a daily basis? Is he stepping outside of the box and promoting our city? The mayors of Marion and Gas City are doing just this thing and look at the new facilities they have gained... Walmart Distribution, Dollar General Distribution, etc. Why isn't that happening here for Elwood?

Awhile back there was a sign at the corner of 28/37 stating that a new shopping center was on its way. What happened to that?

Those people who remember the "old" Elwood, need to forget it. Its time to rethink and retool a "new" Elwood. The social and economic times and the old Elwood thinking are gone. We no longer have the "natural gas"...we no longer are a "bedroom town" for the auto and other high paying industries that used to be in the area. And the thinking that everyone wanted Elwood to same the same....i.e. same size, no crime, no blacks...is gone. A city needs to grow and not stay the same...and we didn't want that. We also had a rep for labor problems...keeping some businesses away. The census of Elwood is entirely different now than what is was in the past. So a new direction needs to be started from the present...not the past. It will be difficult and will take time...but it will eventually happen.

I fully agree with you. Bring on the new!!! NOW!!

They were asking "Why Elwood?" What has become of that? There have been no changes.