Four new businesses have opened up in the last few months
MARQUETTE -- Whether you're looking for a bite to eat, something to wear, or a peaceful stroll, 3rd Street's got it.
But it wasn't always that way. During the development of western Marquette and Marquette Township in the '90s, the village took a major hit, but now it's back in style, and business owners say it's because of a number of reasons.
"Location, location, location," said LouAnn Balding, co-owner of Forsberg Flowers.b "It's the connecting corridor to the university and to the hospital, to downtown and to the lower harbor. Most people take 3rd Street to get to any of those locations."
"I think the variety on 3rd Street is very appealing," said Michele Butler, co-owner of Vango's Pizza.
Also, the community is always eager to support locally-owned business, and 3rd Street is almost all home-grown. With the exception of one store front between Ohio Street and Michigan Street, all of the window fronts on 3rd Street are completely full. Within the past eight months, four new businesses have opened up in the village.
Newcomer, Woods Jewelers, says 3rd Street is a great place to be, since all the businesses work together to gain success.
"I love being part of this community," said jeweler John Greis. "It's a great bunch of retailers here on 3rd Street. We've gotten to know them all very well. We've had a lot of people just kind of walking up and down the street, and you see a little bit of everybody."
To maintain their success, 3rd Street business owners have formed a special organization--the Village Business Association, or VBA for short. The group meets once a month to organize events for the growing business community.
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