Several new businesses have opened in downtown and on north Main Avenue over the past couple of months.
The Durango Business Improvement District has been tracking available space in downtown for more than two years. We know the total square footage for retail and restaurant space in downtown is 750,000. We then can measure the square footage of any available space and do the math to produce an occupancy rate of that retail and restaurant space.
In 2016, the occupancy rate averaged 96.6 percent. This means that on average over the year, only 3.4 percent of retail and restaurant space was unoccupied. The lowest occupancy rate for a month was 95.4 percent, and the highest was 98 percent.
In 2017, the average occupancy rate was 97.2 percent. The low was 96.4 percent and the high was 97.8 percent. At the end of January this year, the occupancy rate was 97.4 percent. One year ago, the rate was 96.4 percent, so we are up a full percentage point for the first month of the year.
For downtown, the two newest businesses are going to be located at 713 Main Ave., where Stuart’s was, and at 152 E. College Dr., where 6512 and Randy’s were located. Both spaces have been vacant for some time, so we are excited to see these two locations activated again.
The Mac Ranch also recently leased 1077 Main Ave. The company is consolidating two locations into this new space on the 1000 block of Main in downtown. We are very pleased to see this service and retail business open.
Dreams of Tibet recently opened a second downtown location, at 658 Main Ave. We absolutely love it when our retail businesses thrive and have the ability to expand.
Cantera has been hard at work remodeling the space at 1150 Main Ave. for several months. There have been some snags along the way that have delayed their opening, but they should be opening any day now. We can’t wait to see what they have done with the place!
Wendy Most Insurance is one of the newest tenants on north Main Avenue. She moved from her downtown location into her own building at 1854 Main Ave. There is office space for rent in her building; check it out if you need a space for your business to grow.
Also on north Main, you have to try La Michoacana El Oasis paleteria for an authentic Mexican ice cream and snack shop. They are located at 2980 Main Ave, and just around the corner is where the new Rock Lounge is being built.
To keep up with all the new businesses in the BID, bookmark our online business directory. The directory currently lists nearly 400 local businesses and is searchable by keyword and type of business.
Want to know who caters, or what restaurants are open late? Need pet supplies, or maybe specialty foods for a fancy dinner? Or maybe you need someone to fix your bike, or you need to find an architect. All of this and more is included in the business directory. Go to DowntownDurango.org to find just what you need.
Tim Walsworth is the executive director of the Durango Business Improvement District. Contact him at timw@downtowndurango.org.
