Ravenna retail eyes comeback as holiday shopping ramps up

In 2018, Neighborhood Development Services opened Ravenna 7 Movies, a venture that backers said would bring foot traffic to downtown Ravenna.

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic forced movie theaters to close their doors. When they were allowed to open again with restrictions, movie options were limited and people were hesitant to return to theaters.

More:Ravenna 7 movie theater ready to reopen after more than a year because of COVID

Now that crowds have started returning to indoor spaces, community leaders are expressing hope that 7 Movies and other retail sites in Ravenna are rebounding just in time for the holiday shopping season.

Arasin Hughes, executive director of Main Street Ravenna, said she believes the community's retail climate is starting to make a comeback, and Main Street is working on some projects to help make that happen.

"I think people are willing to go out and explore and see what downtown has to offer, as well as bolster the great existing things we already have," she said.

Ravenna 7 Movies theater back in business

When Ravenna 7 Movies opened in 2018, it was the first local movie theater to open in more than 50 years. The plan to drive foot traffic downtown seemed to be working until spring 2020, when the pandemic ground retail business, including theaters, to a halt.

While some stores quickly reopened, the theater took more than a year to reopen and struggled for months while the film industry recovered from pandemic-related issues, said Jeff Davis, director of theater operations for Neighborhood Development Services.

"The biggest issue has been lack of production," Davis said. The film industry, he said, tried direct-streaming some movies, but quickly realized that business model didn't work. Summer blockbusters like "Top Gun," he said, proved that crowds were willing to return to theaters, and crowds also turned out for movies like "Halloween Ends." He predicted strong attendance for films like "Black Panther: Wakonda Forever" and next month's "Avatar: The Way of Water."

"People are willing to come back to the theater," he said. "You just need something to draw them out."

Now that blockbusters are returning to the big screen, he said, moviegoers are beginning to remember what it's like to watch a movie free from distractions.

"That element will never be taken away from theaters," he said.

Ravenna is working to attract retailers

But what about other downtown businesses?

Ryann Kuchenbecker, executive director of the Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce, acknowledged there are some vacant storefronts downtown, and Vibes, a longtime business at West Main and Park Way, closed its doors recently.

However, there are also new stores, she said, and Gypsy Sol Boutique, a clothing store that opened earlier this year, has a "huge following."

"There are a lot of things that are going on," she said.

Dennis West, Ravenna's economic development director, said the intern in his office worked with Hughes over the summer to develop an inventory of downtown storefronts that are vacant. That information is now being shared with real estate agents to try to fill those vacancies.

"We want to focus on businesses that would be resilient to this economy and to this community," he said.

Residents, he said, are being asked what they're spending their money on, and that information is used to target specific retailers "so the community doesn't have to travel 15 or 20 miles to these stores."

One such retailer the city hopes to attract sells spices and flavored oils.

A developer is also working to repurpose a former factory at Spruce and Sycamore streets into a mixed-use building. However, West said the developer has had some trouble attracting tenants because market studies of the area are outdated. So now, Ravenna hopes to post current demographic data on the city's website.

"We want to try to create a dashboard to better guide their decision to come to Ravenna," West said.

Hughes said she's working with businesses on a "shop small, shop local" initiative in preparation for holiday shopping and Midnight Madness activities. So far, she's touched base with more than a dozen businesses in Ravenna, including "a ton of places you wouldn't think of."

Doug and Melissa Shelton, who own Riddle Block 9, are progressing on development of first-floor retail spaces along Main and Chestnut streets. Hughes said she is looking forward to seeing retailers fill those spaces, as well as other sites like the former factory at Spruce and Sycamore.

"We have a community that wants to shop," she said. "We have a market for what we have here, and it can only grow."

Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ravenna retail eyes comeback in time for holiday shopping