Littlestown's new downtown a slow draw

By KARA NEWCOMER
Evening Sun Reporter
Article Launched: 07/28/2008 12:15:44 PM EDT

Pink flowers are blooming, water bubbles from a watering-trough fountain and benches sit invitingly in the plaza.
Littlestown's makeover is finally complete.
But the benches can usually be found empty, leaving some to feel the changes will take a while to have an effect. The town is still waiting to see the impact it will have on downtown businesses.
Borough Manager Linda Hess said updates to the square - at the interesection of King and Queen streets - were completed in May and the borough has recently begun to stress its revitalization and beautification efforts to local businesses.
The borough hopes the improved appearance of Littlestown will help attract more businesses - and therefore visitors and residents - downtown

A new history plaza built as part of the revitalization project is on the southeast corner of the square, seen here looking toward South Queen Street. (Evening Sun Photo by Brett Berwager)

The revitalization project began nearly four years ago with a new town plaza built on the corner of King and Queen streets. The Littlestown Historical Plaza celebrates much of Littlestown's history - from its involvement in the Civil War to the 20th Century. Informational plaques are displayed on the plaza's wall. Residents also are able to sit on new benches in front of the war memorial on Queen Street, built to honor the town's veterans. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials said the final cost of the revitalization project was more than $4.7 million. According to Littlestown Borough's Web site, $1 million of that cost was paid for with grants and more than $150,000 was donated by Littlestown businesses and residents.

Utilities were moved underground, giving the square a more open feeling, trees were planted along the new sidewalks and brand new parking meters were installed.

Utilities were moved underground, giving the square a more open feeling, trees were planted along the new sidewalks and brand new parking meters were installed.

However, despite the new appearance of the downtown, many parking meters can be found empty during the week.

Mike Cummings, owner of Dutch Standard Paint-Mike Cummings Co. Inc., has been in business on Queen Street for 28 years. He feels that it's going to take some time for the revitalization project to have an effect.

"It's great that they're (the borough) interested in making things look better and I think the square looks really nice," Cummings said. "But from four years of detours, people got used to going around the square."

Cummings said his business kept all of its regular customers but lost casual shoppers during construction. They've started to come back since the construction ended, but he still thinks it will take awhile until Littlestown's transformation is complete.

Along Queen Street, several store front windows are empty.

Dale Dutterer would like to see more businesses move downtown to bring people into Littlestown.

Littlestown holds a lot of memories for Dutterer, who grew up in the area and has owned a barber shop on Queen Street for 38 years. He has seen quite a few businesses come and go, a few because of the recent construction.

David Staub Insurance on Queen Street was a café before owner David Staub moved in during July 2005. He said, with the construction, it was hard for cafés and similar businesses to survive because they need constant traffic through the area.

When Staub opened his doors, he also had to contend with the construction. To get into his office, there was a ramp from the street to the door because there was no sidewalk.

However, since the completion of the project, his business, located directly across from the plaza, has increased.

"The nature of my business is mostly phone calls," Staub said. "But since the plaza opened, I've gotten a lot more walk-in customers."

The road construction ended in the fall, and Hess doesn't believe that driving through the square is a problem any longer.

"It's been a while since traffic has been impeded by construction," Hess said. "People are getting back to their normal route now."

Although it may not be the rush hour people typically think of, there is steady traffic through the square during the day.

The problem seems to be getting the traffic to stop downtown and people into local businesses.

The Firehouse Grill is one business that doesn't have that problem. During the lunch and dinner hour, the eatery is packed and people can be found waiting for a seat.

Brad and Vickie Wolf, owners of the Firehouse Grill, opened the new restaurant in January. Firehouse Grill took over what used to be Boydie's Restaurant on King Street.

Brad Wolf is "thrilled" to be a part of the revitalization. He would like to see the downtown back to what it was when he was a kid. Then, the area was "booming" with many more businesses. Brad said the effect that the construction had on businesses was apparent at his brother's restaurant, Bentley's.

"Hopefully, the bad days are behind us and the good days are in front of us," Brad Wolf said.

He believes as the "gateway to Adams County," Littlestown has the potential to bring in tourists traveling to Gettysburg.

The Wolfs' daughter, Sarah, works as a waitress at the Firehouse Grill. She thinks the revitalization is good because it could help Littlestown have some "pizzazz" to attract those tourists.

Just a block from the square, Ira Bitner agrees.

Bitner has run The Flower Shop on Prince Street for 30 years.

He said that the changes make the downtown more inviting to visitors, and he hopes that with higher gas prices, people will start visiting local businesses more often. He also would like to see the changes expand beyond the square.

"We really want Littlestown to get ahead of the game," Sarah Wolf said. "Everyone just wants a nice place to be proud of."

Hess said the borough is always keeping the future of Littlestown in mind and one of the Borough Council's goals is to continue the town's transformation down King and Queen streets. As far as when that could happen, Hess is unsure.

But to help move the revitalization along right now, the borough held Clean-Up days this past weekend.

Friday, the borough office closed and its employees swept downtown sidewalks and picked up trash. Saturday, a bulk drop-off day was held for borough residents.

Hess hopes to make the Clean-Up Days an annual event to be held in early spring.

"We want people to not only notice the new square, but also how clean Littlestown is," Hess said.

Contact Kara Newcomer at knewcomer@eveningsun.com.