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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Chuck,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Who owns the space they’re in? If it’s the City and the City is sympathetic to the issue you’ve raised, there could be some language placed in the lease that dictates the type of product that can be sold and/or the square footage dedicated to retail.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Either way, the only issue at hand is if the VCB’s welcome center is receiving some subsidy to be successful that is not available to the average private sector retailer. If there is a subsidy, perhaps that needs to be gradually scaled back to allow the Welcome Center to compete and survive as a private sector retailer would.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>On the other hand, unless the Welcome Center’s array of offerings has gotten way out of hand, it should still represent a fairly niche market. When I was in downtown Philadelphia last fall and I wanted some souvenirs, I went to the “official” downtown welcome center store/ gift shop. I do the same when I’m in most cities, actually.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The market should take care of itself, unless someone is unfairly competing with a subsidy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#0F243E'>Charlie Mitchell, CEcD<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Community & Economic Development Director<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>City of La Grande<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>PO Box 670<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>1000 Adams Ave.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>La Grande, OR 97850<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>541-962-1307<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><a href="mailto:cmitchell@cityoflagrande.org"><span style='color:blue'>cmitchell@cityoflagrande.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.cityoflagrande.org"><span style='color:blue'>www.cityoflagrande.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> OMS_MANAGERS [mailto:oms_managers-bounces@listsmart.osl.state.or.us] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Chuck Arnold<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, January 17, 2014 10:16 AM<br><b>To:</b> 'Oregon Main Street program managers'<br><b>Subject:</b> [OMS_MANAGERS] VCB Welcome Center-retail competition with private sector<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Our VCB has been tremendously successful. We take a lot of pride and benefit from their success as I do personally as a member of their Board. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The VCB has a welcome center in our downtown. (</span><a href="http://www.visitbend.com/About-Us/Welcome-Center/">http://www.visitbend.com/About-Us/Welcome-Center/</a>)<span style='font-size:14.0pt'> In the last 4 years, the welcome center has really ramped up their retail sales expanding their offerings beyond t-shirts and pencils. They now have a dedicated retail area of a few hundred square feet that sees beyond $100,000/year in sales.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>While I am encouraged by the success, the welcome center is a nonprofit that now competes heavily with several of our retailers. There is overlap of product and though it’s only speculative, it would seem that it is affecting the market share of private sector business sales.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Has anyone run into this issue? Any advice?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#538135'>Chuck Arnold<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#538135'>Downtown Bend Business Association<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#538135'>A nonprofit working to keep Downtown Bend vibrant<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#2E74B5'><a href="http://www.DowntownBend.org"><span style='color:#2E74B5'>www.DowntownBend.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#2E74B5'><a href="https://www.facebook.com/downtownbend"><span style='color:#2E74B5'>https://www.facebook.com/downtownbend</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#538135'>(541) 788-3628<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><u><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Upcoming Events:<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i>February 7-First Friday Art Walk<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>