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Downtown Business Owners Association Marks 5 Years

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By Scott E. Smith | The Suncoast News

Published: August 6, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY -- In today's volatile business climate some businesses open and close without ever being noticed.

The downtown New Port Richey Business Owners Association, a group that tries to help entrepreneur's buck that trend, is celebrating its fifth year since its conception in 2003.

The Greater New Port Richey Main Street organization, which was formed in 1990, developed the association after former City Councilman Ted Thomas, then president of the main street organization, approached City Council with the idea of creating an additional function of the downtown touting group.

The group sponsored "Street Talk Conference," a multisession conference that brought downtown merchants, property owners, city officials and interested citizens together to discuss the issues faced by historic downtown New Port Richey. Following the conference several business owners volunteered their time to form the association.

Members of Greater New Port Richey Main Street are automatically included in the business association. There are more than 20 businesses that participate in bettering the cause of the merchants group.

The association gives the members the opportunity to communicate and network with the other businesses that are located in the downtown district. The organization also gives the organizations a unified voice in front of City Council.

Tim Robbins, vice president of Gauged Creative House, an advertising agency on the corner of Grand Boulevard and Main Street commented, "by being involved with the them it has given us a voice to express our likes and dislikes as well as an avenue to suggest change."

The group meets once a month for breakfast to share ideas, communicate and conduct "idea' or brainstorming sessions. They also participate in a quarterly membership mixer that assists the level of communication and networking amongst the members.

As downtown businesses are in flux it allows them to keep in contact with each other. The average length a downtown establishment has operated is about 15 years, with several in existence more than 30 years.

Furthermore the merchants association has been responsible for orchestrating downtown events such as the Strawberry and Blueberry Fest and the quarterly shop-n-strolls and major festivals such as, Night in the Tropics, Founders Day and the Cotee River Seafood Festival. The events are intended to market the downtown as a viable business district.

For more information on The Business Owners Association visit www.nprmainstreet.com>.

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