The Heart of Our City Master Plan considers one of the strengths of Lethbridge to be its identity as a local and regional shopping destination.
In Sept. 2007, city council recognized the special significance of downtown and adopted the framework to transform the downtown area.
Jeremy Duchan, local downtown business owner of Gentlemen Three Menswear Ltd., said Lethbridge is really fortunate to have a strong downtown core.
“I always say Lethbridge is a big town, not a small city. We are a big Taber, a big Raymond, we are not a small Calgary.
According to Duchan, as an owner of a boutique, it’s about building relationships and building on the small town mentality.
“When you’re a big store in Chinook mall, you’re just playing on the percentages of people walking by and if 100,000 people walk by, maybe you can grab five per cent of those people and get 5,000 people into your store, maybe you can sell to one per cent of those people and make 500 transactions. Here it’s not about that.”
The city’s website says the downtown area covers more than 30 blocks and includes more than 100 buildings, which are more than 50 years old.
Arlene Hemmerling, co-owner of Blue Sage, said owning a boutique downtown for women’s clothing has both its advantages and disadvantages.
“The benefits are being able to offer your customer things they won’t see anywhere else, we have unique things and a more personal service. I think the biggest challenge is finding new customers, you don’t have as big of a budget as the malls or big box stores that have the money for advertising.”
A market analysis was conducted to provide guidance early on in the master planning process.
The results indicated the downtown is faced with several challenges, including the need to strengthen the historic retail core.
George Kuhl, the downtown revitalization manager, said First Friday’s, which offer discounts at certain locations downtown, is one way the retail core is being strengthened.
“Everything downtown is concentrated, it’s very complex area and it’s pretty walkable too, it’s a lot different in terms of look, feel and experience of other shopping centres and to a large extent downtowns do compete with regional shopping centres.”
According to the city, by promoting the downtown, it has brought the area back to the prominence it once enjoyed.
“When you’re supporting someone in the downtown core, which is what I think Heart of the City is really about. You’re supporting someone who will reinvest back into the community as well, which I think is the goal of any community, to see a healthy growth,” said Duchan.
