Santa may not have brought that Trader Joe’s or other store to town in 2022 that you might have hoped for, but there is lots of good news on the economic front.
That’s the word from Mark Dawson, Clinton’s economic development director, who knows all the “war stories” — what goes behind the scenes in Clinton in trying to attract both retail and industrial development.
Here’s a look at what’s new, what’s history and what is stepping in to fill the void in 2022.
Gone but not forgotten: Chel’s, a coffee shop, cafe and bakery on Second Street, closed in September. Smith’s Restaurant, which served home-style meals and pie like grandma used to make, closed its doors in November after 15 years in Clinton. Also lamented is the closing of the Bluebird Mercantile on the Square.
The Sears Store is also history. That closing was a nationwide decision, Mark said. The reason most of the other businesses in town closed has more to do with life cycles, he said, meaning the personal situation of the owners, than the viability of the Clinton economy.
What’s stepped in to fill the void: The Pediatric Place at one end of Jeffferson Commons on Second Street needed more space, so is expanding into the space occupied by Chel’s. Pediatric Place offers physical therapy, occupational therapy (small-muscle skills) and counseling for children, and is also planning to build in the parking lot on the north side of the building, David said.
TR Fitness opened in the Sears building. An announcement will be made soon of the business relocating to the Mercantile storefront.
Mark stepped into the role of Clinton’s economic development director three and half years ago after a 36-year career in economic development. He worked in that field for Kansas City Power and Light, now Evergy, and for shopping centers in Lee’s Summit. Originally from Hayti, in the Missouri boot heel, he commutes from his home in the railroad town of Lee’s Summit to the railroad depot in Clinton, where he works with Chamber of Commerce director David Lee.
More good news: when a vacancy on the Square occurs, it’s filled, sooner or later. The Newsroom Bar and Grill, on South Washington, which sported a “For Sale” sign for years, sold recently, Mark said. Across the street, the pink two-story building on the corner of the square, formerly Bev’s Beauty School, sold last year. The building left vacant by the business moving to the Mercantile space has been purchased, and an announcement pending on the owner.
Both Mark and David Lee said they thought that Marolf’s Tire Store, on Main and Ohio, would sit empty, but it wasn’t a week before it was sold and transformed into Total Auto Repair.
“I heard they even have plans for the white building on the corner,” David said.
Three storefronts in the Burnham-Ortner Building, along the block of 300 South Main, were bought by Mike and Dana McIntyr, and filled by Mid-MO Antiques and Matilda McIntyre’s Photography and Design Studio.
Another storefront on South Main, the one that has been gutted on the main floor, is being renovated by a local entrepreneur. Even the infamous hole on the east side of the Square, created when a building collapsed last February, is drawing interest from investors who would like to build, Mark said.
There are currently seven empty storefronts on the Square, but most are owned by investors who are undecided about what to do with them, Mark said. He receives a half-dozen inquiries per space for the places on the Square sitting empty, he said.
“You have to have places to put them,” he explained of bringing new businesses to town.
New on the Square are Clinton Candle Co. and EMoreBe Emporium, which bought two buildings in town and developed one for offices, David said. Silhouettes, a lingerie and clothing store that opened in 2021, had to move next door in 2022 after the building next to their original storefront collapsed, owner Andi Schmidt said.
More space is always needed by existing retail businesses who are looking for ways to expand, Mark said.
“There are things moving around,” he said. “You don’t see it, but it’s happening.”
Three new gyms—TR Fitness, Bear Down Fitness and Blush Boot Camp — bring the total of private gyms in town to four. Bear Down Fitness joins a healthy variety of businesses around the Clinton Square, a list that includes 11 financial services, six restaurants, four clothing stores, four law firms, three beauty salons and two paint stores. There are also gift and arts/crafts stores, two clubs, a quilt store, a furniture store, a spa, a physical therapy center, a community services office, an optician and a jeweler.
Blush Boot Camp opened in the shopping center on the east end of town. Also new at the shopping center is Burkes Outlet, a department store that sells clothes, shoes and housewares. Burger King and Scooter’s Coffee are additions to the business landscape of East Ohio.
People get excited about a new retailer in town, Mark said, but economies need both retail and industrial growth. Get ready for a big announcement of expansion from one of Clinton’s key industries, David said.
Room for new industries is also at a premium— Gerhart Business Park on the north side of town is only three or four deals away from being full, Mark said, and “we’re filling it up as fast as we can.” Developing property outside the city for industrial development is prohibitive because of the cost of installing infrastructure, he said. On Mark’s wish list by next Christmas:
“We need another business park,” he said.
Mark has two pieces of advice for small business owners. The first is to have an exit strategy — a plan for who is going to take over when you want to retire. Otherwise you’re stuck working, or losing everything you worked for all your life. Of several businesses in town that faced this predicament last year, only one is still open.
The other advice: do what you can to keep workers. It’s a tricky balance between paying employees more and staying open longer each day versus closing early because of lack of employees, he said, a dilemma restaurant owners are facing.
“It’s a workers’ market,” Mark said. “People will come to work if the pay is good.”
People often ask him why certain retailers don’t locate to Clinton, but for a retail company to choose to move here requires three things: a place to put them and two other factors.
“You gotta have a market, and you have to have workers,” Mark said.
Calculating if there is a strong enough market for the business to survive in Clinton is part of his job. The formula takes the population of a town and surrounding area, and factors in average household incomes. Then comparisons are made with other communities to determine whether a certain class of business can make a profit here, he said. Certain business classes, of which there are 27 in all — such as service stations and big-box stores rate well in our area, he said.
Also on Mark’s wish list: space for senior housing. There is currently a need for about 400 units in Clinton, Mark said, which would be in the form of a three-story apartment building with a courtyard and dining room, possibly surrounded by a campus of individual houses.
“I’m excited if we can make that happen,” Mark said.
It’s a win-win situation, he said, because senior housing would allow older residents to stay in town, and open up houses for sale to people moving here, he said.
“If you built 400 senior housing units and half of them are taken by Clinton residents, you’d put 200 homes on the market,” he said.
“I feel that if I can help a few families with kids stay in town and make a good living, I’ve done my job.”
Potential home buyers include people who want to live in Clinton, and don’t don’t mind commuting to work in other communities. Whiteman Air Force Base is expected to employ more people in the future, he said.
The population of Clinton did drop by 300 between 2000 and 2010, from a high of 9,300, but is now on the rise. An affordable housing market helps offset a community’s lower income levels, making the town more attractive to retailers.
Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare is a tremendous asset to Clinton, David said, and its latest expansion project, offering radiology oncology treatment, is a strong investment in the town’s future. Clinton’s parks, the community recreation center, aquatic facilities with indoor and outdoor pools, the Henry County Library and churches all add to Clinton’s attractiveness to potential employers and employees.
Other good news: The housing market has remained healthy, with the average sales price of a house rising from $136,318 to $175,541 in the past two years. People investing in real estate, whether it’s business or residential, see that the economic tide rising in nearby towns is lapping closer and closer to Clinton. Clinton appeals to people who don’t mind commuting to work, Mark said, in order to have outdoor recreation opportunities at the back door— hiking, boating, fishing and hunting.
Making the city slogan, “Great People, By Nature” a draw for future employers and residents.
