on 03-12-2009 03:16

By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET - A downtrodden economy that is affecting business owners large and small brought a crowd of over 130 people to a Pawtucket Business Summit at the Comfort Inn on Tuesday night.

Mayor James E. Doyle had put out the word to area businesses and civic groups about the forum, billing it as a chance to exchange ideas and ask questions of his administration and other local officials about ways to foster growth. "Maybe we can help each other," he had stated. "What better time to bring people together than in a time of adversity?"
Among the featured speakers was Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts, who also chairs the Small Business Advocacy Council. Roberts spoke of "Buy Local Rhode Island," a statewide initiative designed to encourage residents to shop locally and employ Rhode Island companies and contractors as frequently as possible.
"We want to ensure that 50 percent of your dollar stays in the Rhode Island economy," Roberts stated. She added that pending legislation is geared toward helping more Rhode Island companies to get bids on state projects and that an upcoming phase of the initiative will encourage a "business to business" link between locally manufactured products.
Mark Hayward, Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, said that with over 57 percent of residents employed by small businesses, the success of this category is "vital" to the state's economy. To that end, he said that an infusion of $730 million in stimulus money will be coming to the U.S. Small Business Administration, opening up various loan programs and opportunities.
Hayward noted, however, that is it also critical for small business owners to do a yearly business plan and to not wait until it is too late before reaching out for help.
 "There are opportunities here. Let us work together as a team to make sure you survive," Hayward stressed.
State Rep. Peter Kilmartin unveiled a new proposal designed to generate revenue called the "Pawtucket SmartCard." He said the card would be sold for a certain price to customers and would offer discounts on things like meals, services, retail goods and other types of services from participating local businesses.
Kilmartin said the details are yet to be worked out, but he encouraged the business owners present to provide their feedback on the idea through a survey. He suggested that such an effort would be unique to Pawtucket, and would encourage local purchases, create a public relations "buzz" and promote community pride.
Doyle then introduced his team of department heads and opened up the floor to questions and concerns. Members of the City Council, and State Rep. Elizabeth Dennigan were also in attendance.
Ricardo Pitts Wiley, founder of the Mixed Magic Theatre, said he would like to see his theatre grow on a much larger scale, but in order to do so, the city also needs to recognize its greater vision. "We want to be dealt with in the same way as a major corporation," he stated.
Thomas Mann, executive director of The Pawtucket Foundation, spoke of how the city's future success is linked with the development of a commuter train station in the downtown as well as other types of mass transportation. He also stressed the importance of initiatives to spur development of the city's riverfront and to put more emphasis on an economic development plan.
Morris Nathanson, a noted architect and designer who moved his business back to Pawtucket, said better transportation links are needed between Pawtucket and Providence as well as Pawtucket and the South Attleboro MBTA station. He said that improved signage, less one-way streets, increased parking at the station and other improvements for commuters and out-of-town visitors could be accomplished relatively quickly "and without requiring big federal dollars."
Kilmartin and Planning Director Michael Cassidy spoke of the current legislative efforts that are being made to bring back in some form the state's historic tax credit program or other types of similar incentives designed to encourage downtown development.
However, the frustrations being experienced by some local business owners spilled out as well. Karen Pace, the owner of Kafe Lila, spoke of a downtown that is still largely deserted and asked if more could be done on the part of city officials to urge commercial landlords to offer lower rents and other incentives to prospective business owners.
Toyin Wilcox, who opened her Village Restaurant just months ago, said she had planned on being able to obtain a liquor license but was later told that no more were available. She said her business is suffering from not being able to offer customers beer or wine with their meals.
City Clerk Richard Goldstein and City Councilor Thomas Hodge tried to explain that a cap had been put on liquor licenses while the City Council's Ordinance Committee reviews the matter. However, several others criticized their remarks, including Pace and Nathanson, who urged the city to consider Wilcox's plight. Nathanson noted that he designs restaurants for customers around the world "and I've never heard anything as ridiculous as what we are hearing tonight."
Despite some of the negativity, the audience largely agreed with Doyle that the meeting had been helpful and that the Pawtucket Business Summit should be turned into an annual event.