Kudos to the Washington St. Mall Business District

To the Editor:
When the idea of a Business Improvement District for the Washington Street Mall was floated around Cape May, there was a lot of grumbling about whether or not it would work and how it should be structured. Like many others, I decided to keep my opinion to myself and reserve judgment for a year or so to see how things turned out. It’s been two years now and I am very impressed with what I’ve seen. I don’t know the revenue numbers for businesses on the mall, but I can say confidently that the mall looks better than it has in many years and the businesses seem busier around the year.
The recent addition of Tisha’s to the mall was a brilliant move. I admire the mentality of attracting the best businesses available to fill empty storefronts, even though they may compete with others already on the mall. It’s a bold move that pushes everyone to step up their game, which translates to more people visiting the mall and an increase in business all around.
Anchors like Whale’s Tale, Original Fudge Kitchen and the Ugly Mug will continue to draw in customers as they have for 25-plus years, and the great selection of businesses will give those customers plenty of different ways to spend their money.
Things could have gone much differently with the BID, had there been public interference, in fighting, power struggles or political grandstanding mucking up the process. I’m happy to see that hasn’t been the case and even happier to watch the tremendous growth that has been fostered through the efforts of all involved. The mall has fared far better than so many other projects around Cape May that have fallen prey to these kinds of problems. It’s a shame that things haven’t gone so smoothly with the new Convention Hall, the Gateway Project, the revitalization of the Promenade, the Beach Theatre… the list goes on.
Bravo to the men and women who oversee the Washington Street Mall BID; they’ve done a fantastic job.
BEN MILLER
Cape May
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