Downtowns were the economic and social centers

Many people have never experienced what Sussex County downtowns once were as the economic and social centers of the community.

While the resort cities of Lewes and Rehoboth Beach have retained vital downtown areas with shops and restaurants, many cities and towns in Sussex have lost their downtown identities. Some, such as Seaford and Milford, are making a comeback as civic-minded investors are redeveloping abandoned properties, and building new offices, stores and apartments.

The place to be

Downtowns were the places where everybody shopped for everything, including food, clothing, hardware and pharmacy items. Grocery stores, such as A&P and Acme, opened in downtowns across the region.

It was fashionable to come to town on Saturday nights and do your “dealing,” as old-timers called it. It was the place to see and be seen.

Nearly every town had at least one movie theater. While some of the buildings still exist, the only survivor is The Clayton in Dagsboro. The theaters offered not only movies, but also traveling shows. Many downtowns also had large hotels where the social life of the town took place.

Rehoboth Beach actually had a railroad down the middle of Rehoboth Avenue. Lewes redefined itself from a factory town to a tourist destination, and Second Street is a key reason tourists come to the First Town.

Those were the days before the chain stores such as Walgreens and CVS, Lowe’s and Home Depot, Walmart and the outlets.

Highways, such as Routes 1, 13 and 113, became the commercial centers of towns and cities, and many small shops could not compete and went under. During their heydays, the Blue Hen (and Dover) Mall, Rehoboth Mall and the Centre at Salisbury were the go-to shopping destinations, putting a strain on downtown shops and stores as well. Many had to rethink their market plan and carve out a new niche.

Towns that didn't adapt were left in the dust and are just now starting to come back.

There are a host of factors that impacted downtown businesses. Competition is at the top of the list.

Customer service

But some locally owned businesses have survived. Smaller shops, such as Bests’ Ace Hardware stores, offer something the big-box stores don't – great customer service.

Lloyd's Market in Lewes (although technically not downtown) is a great example of superb customer service, and adapting to changing markets and needs; that's what its owners, the Purcell family, have been doing since 1971. The market has outlived an Acme and A&P in Lewes.

It's one of the last mom-and-pop stores in the area and the state's oldest grocery store. They must be doing something right.

What they do in their 2,000-square-foot store is offer just about everything you need, just not all brands that are found in larger stores. They also sell local produce and meats, and provide their own widely popular rotisserie chicken. They sell hundreds of fresh turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and continually add new items (like tomato pie) to keep up with trends. Shopping there is like stepping back in time to when every town had at least one small market.

Lawsuit against Walmart

I happened to be part of the battle between small shops and the big-box stores that cropped up along the main highways in the 1980s, 1990s and into the 2000s.

When I was a member of the Seaford council, a store owner on High Street – the city's main street – filed a lawsuit against council and Walmart to protect his livelihood. He sold arts and crafts and sewing goods, which Walmart also offered.

It was a long legal battle, but in the end, Walmart prevailed and opened its first area store on Route 13 in a newly annexed section of the city. Other commercial development soon followed, as did a new shopping center. Restaurants and hotels were not far behind.

It really symbolized the debate of out-of-state box stores versus local shops and stores.

Eventually, like a slow-creeping plague, downtown Seaford's stores started to close, and the store in question eventually burned down.

That story was repeated not only in Sussex County, but across the nation. The big, out-of-town stores won out.

Some towns fight back

Some towns have never recovered. Laurel is a supreme example. A series of fires over the years has decimated the town, and most of the affected buildings have been torn down. Two banks, a thrift shop and senior center are about all that remain. Nearly half of the downtown is a park.

However, developers have capitalized on Broad Creek, which is one block from downtown, with the Laureltown complex and a great water-access park. As they say, when one door closes, another one opens.

Millsboro, which has a long downtown history, is practically choked by traffic that prohibits much new development. Two restaurants in downtown have closed, yet growth is occurring at a rapid pace along Route 113. One thing going for the town is that the post office is still downtown, which is not the case for many Sussex downtowns.

Once the new northern bypass is completed, let's hope some of the town's traffic woes are reduced.

While Georgetown's downtown is a busy place, it's been taken over by county and state buildings, law offices and a new Family Court taking up nearly a block. The businesses, including several restaurants, are supported in a big way by employees who work downtown.

One of the best examples of downtown revitalization is taking place in Milford, both in Sussex and Kent counties. The town uses its great riverwalk as an anchor for its shops and restaurants.

Milton, with the Milton Theatre as the anchor, is capitalizing on its history as it rebuilds its identity. Lewes and Rehoboth Beach are continually keeping pace with shopping and eating trends. Tourists come for beaches, but they also come for the restaurants and shops.

If you are looking for a model downtown, look at Lewes. No other downtown offers what Lewes does with its mix of history; parks decorated for each season by Lewes in Bloom; a large variety of restaurants for every taste; and specialty shops offering toys, puzzles, pet items, clothing, collectibles and antiques. Lewes Canalfront Park is one of the best parks in the county, featuring the historic Lightship Overfalls, the Little League park, a music venue and access to the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal. And the architecture and landscaping only help to create a pleasing look for the town. City leaders, various committees and volunteers have done it right.

Rehoboth Beach offers a lot of the same, but it doesn’t have the ambience that Lewes does.

Town and city officials, chambers and other groups in nearly every Sussex town are looking for ways ­to revitalize or keep revitalizing their downtowns using public-private partnerships, and going after state and federal grants. To keep downtowns vital, it requires stepping out of the box and being creative.