Business View Magazine | August 2020

172 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020 and so we will be revisiting with them, knowing that COVID put everything on a three to five month hold, for now. But we’re hoping that some of the plans that they had talked about in the early part of this year will be resumed and that includes some entertainment venues, some restaurants, and small business – retail/ commercial ideas for our downtown.” Watson adds that another key to downtown revitalization would be more hotel rooms, as the city is working to become a vibrant tourist destination that features historic architecture, award-winning cuisine, and a thriving bi- national arts community. “We had a hotel study done, and it shows that we could easily support one more,” she notes. “And if they do a model where they have some extended stay, we’re likely to end up with two. One of the hotels has actually purchased property here in Douglas, and it’s a major brand, so people who are used to brands and getting points would be able to do that depending on which of the chains ends up here.” Another key is more downtown housing. “We have a short supply of it, right now,” she admits. “Retail follows rooftops, and we understand that. This wouldn’t necessarily be new rooftops; it would probably be rehabbed buildings.” According to Mayor Donald Huish, Douglas definitely wants to convince more workers to become permanent residents of the city. “This town is such a beautiful place to live,” he states. “Of course I’m biased because I was born and raised here, but it is a community where your kids can still ride their bikes over to their grandparents’ house without any fear. We intend to keep it that way, but we are also after a steady growth. A lot of the people who work in our community live elsewhere – primarily the people that work for the federal government in our Port of Entry and also our Border Patrol. So, multi- use housing in the downtown area is primarily geared to try to get them to stay here. When they arrive here, many times they want to seek a little bit faster lifestyle and, therefore, they’ll end up