News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Scoops owner Aaron Buza readies some ice cream for the first customers of the day on Thursday. Buza and other businesses say there ongoing changes are happening downtown, and although it is worrisome, it is also exciting at the same time.

ALPENA — For the last decade, growth and development in downtown Alpena have been on a steep incline but recent events raise the question of whether progress is beginning to trend downward.

Over the last month, a large development project that included housing and commercial space on Chisholm Street was scrapped due to cost, and late last week The Fresh Palate owner Eric Peterson announced he was closing the popular restaurant which had become a vital destination for people downtown.

The popular Pita Wagon, which conducted business in various locations downtown, announced earlier this week that it also would not be opening this year.

That is not to discount the businesses that moved to a different location, like Cops and Doughnuts, or closed their doors and were replaced with new ones.

Anne Gentry, Alpena Downtown Development Authority executive director, admitted recent news that downtown hasn’t always been the most positive and the level of concern she feels is escalating, but not alarming.

“Yes, it is concerning,” Gentry said. “But I think it is too early to get a clear picture because every downtown goes through its ups and downs and right now we are seeing some downs. From a financial standpoint business owners are seeing a post-COVID slump because the stimulus money is gone, inflation is hurting consumer spending, high interest rates are hurting developers, all of these things are happening at once, but I still see plenty of opportunity.”

Scoops owner Aaron Buza said he has some concerns about a loss of business because of the closure of The Fresh Palate and some of the other speedbumps downtown is navigating through. He said that is why focusing on his business, its products, and service is important.

“I do have concerns because downtown depends on providing an experience and Fresh Palate offered an experience and its customers were my customers,” Buza said. “I’m just going to stick to what we do best and persevere and trust that something else nice will be added to the downtown.”

Buza said he was also worried when the former Royal Knight Theater closed in 2018 and reopened last summer as the Sanctuary Cinema.

“That was scary too but we made it through and now people come down to go to the cinema,” Buza said. “Downtowns reinvent themselves all of the time. We still have other great restaurants, breweries, a winery, and great stores that are still here, so I think downtown will be OK and it’s still thriving overall.”

Some business owners were already on edge about the imminent closure of Decorative Panel International and the loss of about 200 good-paying jobs.

Gentry said some businesses are unnerved by the massive loss of jobs, but it is too early to see a direct impact this early in the plant’s closure.

All of the news isn’t bad, as there are many projects for the downtown area and developers who still express interest in opening businesses in it. Alpena is redoing Culligan Plaza and a new restroom facility will be built in 2025. Interest in the former Alpena Power Co. property on the shore of the Thunder Bay River continues and the DDA expanded its boundaries to promote more development further down Chisholm Street and 2nd Avenue. The revitalization of The State Theater and The Vaughn downtown continues to inch forward also.

Jeremy Sahr, the owner of Thunder Bay Winery, which is located only a dozen feet or so from The Fresh Palate, said in many ways The Fresh Palate and the winery fed off one another and shared their customer base. He said it is sad to see the restaurant close, but added that change is part of life, and although it can be scary, the changes can often end up better than what was before.

“We watched Fresh Palate grow and we grew right along with them,” Sahr said. “But, I’m not scared of the future because things always change and nothing lasts forever. Sometimes change can be amazing, we just need to adjust and adapt to it.”

Today, Scoops will open its doors for 2024 and begin serving the people in Northeast Michigan. Sahr said the winery is now selling some food options to its customers, but the menu is limited because there is no kitchen in the business.