Dear Editor,
Thank you to Mayor Justin McKenzie, the aldermen and Mr. Mark Retcho for having an outdated law revised! I doubt that it’ll change the drinking habits of most people as much as it’ll make shopping more convenient for those of who find ourselves doing weekly shopping on a Sunday.
I am also excited about the possibility of Mr. Phillip McDaniel opening a microbrewery downtown! How nice it would be to have a place to go on a weekend, have a few beers and watch sports on TV with other like-minded fans! I hope the community will welcome and support him! Most of us, young and not so young, who enjoy going out for a drink have fully embraced having a designated driver or calling a cab or Uber. And people like Mr. McDaniel want no part of having someone who’s been overserved leaving their establishment.
I saw the downtown area of my hometown (Mobile, Ala.) deteriorate and dwindle to almost nothing when the department stores left for the big malls in the suburbs. Then, of course, the restaurants and many professionals left. After too many years first one brave entrepreneur like Mr. McDaniel opened, then another, then another! One by one the abandoned buildings were refreshed, and today that area flourishes again with restaurants, bars, shopping, tourist attractions and much more! The beautiful old historic homes surrounding downtown that had been left in ruins continue to be restored and are now considered highly desirable (with prices that reflect that).
Every time a new resident is brought in they need housing, they’ll eat at restaurants, buy groceries and fuel, they’ll shop from our local merchants and many will be seeking a new church home. I would love to see our beautiful downtown Columbia bustling with shoppers and diners. I am excited at the prospect of seeing our local businesses grow and to witness our tax revenue increase where one day our first responders, educators and government employees could be paid a wage they could actually live on!
Thank you again for taking another step in making Columbia a visitor destination.
Kathy Esteves
Columbia
