De Pere businesses see
retail slump

DE PERE - On Broadway Street on the east side of De Pere-- you'll find small, locally owned businesses stretch for a couple blocks.

They sit right off of the new Claude Allouez Bridge and roundabout.

The bridge opened less than a year and a half ago, replacing a smaller, outdated bridge about a block away.

"That bridge has a huge advantage in a number of areas," said Leslie Reilly who owns The Primitive Heart.

But, added Reilly, not for her business.

Reilly told FOX 11 the new bridge and roundabout means drivers are whizzing through the district, no longer dropping in to see the store.

One concern brought forth by businss owners, including Reilly, is that there is no longer a stop light at Broadway and George Street, meaning the traffic no longer lingers there.

"Good for cars, and a little bad for business that traffic doesn't ever stop on Broadway," said Reilly. "It just gets on the roundabout and goes over the new bridge."

Though Reilly, and Cheryl Detrick with the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce don't know if the new bridge is "completely" to blame.

"At the same time we go through this bridge reconstruction, we also find out that we have been in a recession for the past year and a half," explained Detrick.

But Detrick added while business is down in some parts of Broadway Street, other businesses are expanding and thriving.

"We haven't seen 'big' closures of businesses," said Detrick.

And just a few doors down from The Primitive Heart, A's Restaurant and Music Cafe has seen a steady come-back of customers---a welcome change after losing some business since the new bridge opened.

"They stop more now than when it first opened," said Bonita Alberts who co-owns the restaurant.

Now business owners hope those customers keeping stopping by, even if does mean breaking away from the flow of traffic.

Some on Broadway and with the Chamber of Commerce say businesses will have to come up with new ways to advertise to get drivers out of their cars.

Ideas include putting out large bright window banners advertising specials.