We don't know anything about it. He wants more information from the city. But until the city signs a development agreement with Urban Retail Properties, it is in a tight spot, Murphy said. The city cannot talk to merchants or property owners until it has something to offer. While the small Downtown businesses have plenty of concerns about the mayor's new vision for Fifth and Forbes, most of them agree that something needs to be done.
Business is over.
At one time, Alvin's stayed open until 9 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, but the store ended those hours in 1978. Some customers refused to shop Downtown after dark, and others grew tired of looking for convenient and inexpensive parking. Across the street, at Bolan's Candies, manager Johanna Chuha is sweeping up for the day at 4 p.m. The store on Forbes is empty. She, too, remembers a time when Bolan's stayed open until 10 p.m.