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November 5, 2009

Groves business climate grows in time for First Friday in Groves



By Darragh Doiron

The News staff writer

GROVES — Merchants designed First Friday in Groves to promote old-fashioned town-square family fun. This Friday, owners of two new shops will welcome celebrants to their doors on Lincoln Avenue.

Angel Contreras will present Shoogz, a fuschia and pink home for young girls’ clothes, and Cheryll Moreau will open Hannah Bay, clothing shop in her 10,000-square-foot building called Maison d’Amis. She plans to lease other spaces to vendors, including a printer and photographer.

Moreau said she’s getting a warm welcome to Groves was enhanced by grants from the Groves Economic Development Corporation.

D.E. Sosa, director of the EDC, said business is booming around the city, especially downtown.

“Do you know my biggest problem on Lincoln Avenue right now? It’s parking,” Sosa said.

The EDC is working on a plan to provide about 60 additional spaces, he said.

Sosa said the EDC was originally put in place to pay a debt service on the city’s sewer plant. When Super K mart and Walmart left, the 2004 sales tax was low.

“That year half a million dollars of sales tax evaporated … was gone,” Sosa said.

“That’s when we said, ‘Let’s be a little more agressive with our grants and incentives,’ ” Sosa said.

The first grants were designed for business curb appeal, with matching funding for businesses making their fronts look more attractive with paint, signage and lighting.

“Little by little, we started getting into more and more economic development,” Sosa said.

A successful Shop Groves First program has helped increase the tax to about $2 million a year and now there’s the Lincoln Avenue parking situation.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Sosa said. “We’ve had a lot of local businesses move in and our business climate is really good.”

He noted the Popeye’s being constructed where that Super K mart used to be, and a Sun Wok where the old Sonic was.

As for Moreau and Contreras, they’re both working on their stores this week and will be catering to female shoppers young and mature at First Friday, set for 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6.

Coordinator Bree Babin reports the evening will include the Scarecrow Showdown, a decoration contest for local businesses, at 6:30 p.m. at Celebration Park, through the Groves Beautification Committee.   

Bands and students from Tonalta School of Music will entertain. For more information, contact Babin at FirstFridayinGroves@gmail.com.

ddoiron@panews.com





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