Following a string of downtown Batavia closures, the state of the city’s business community has become a hot topic of conversation around town.

During the Oct. 19 City Council meeting, an alderperson asked for an update on downtown economic development after Daddio’s Diner, Everdine’s Grilled Cheese, and Beardsgaard Barbers all closed (or announced plans to close) in recent weeks.

City staff suggested more updates are coming with an economic development strategic plan in the works.

Here’s what to know:

Not all of the closures appear to be related to the health of the business. Staff noted that in social media posts, the owners of Beardsgaard said they’re going out on top, and the owners of Red Hive Market said they’re retiring.

Both of those storefronts are move-in ready for new retail tenants, staff said, but many of downtown’s remaining vacancies will require significant investment before new businesses can move in.

A city staffer said a steering committee on the economic development plan is expected to meet in November, December, and January, with the plan likely returning to council after that.

On the latest episode of the “Area Code: Batavia” podcast, Jamie Saam said businesses are closing faster than they used to, but pushed back on the idea that downtown is becoming a ghost town.

Saam, a former Batavia MainStreet director who now runs the business consulting firm Start Something Studio, said Geneva seems to refill vacancies more quickly. She argued that one of the main challenges for Batavia businesses is a lack of downtown housing.

The scrapped One Washington Place apartment-and-retail project came up as one example of a missed opportunity to add more residential to the downtown area.

She also compared Batavia to St. Charles, where the new Fox Haven Square redevelopment near the former Charlestowne Mall has attracted an array of businesses. She noted that in this case, a local family is investing directly in the community in the form of a major commercial project.

In Batavia, she said, BEI is largely the only local developer taking on that kind of work.

In a blog post published on Oct. 23, Alderman Jim Fahrenbach described downtown Batavia as being in a period of transition rather than decline.

He highlighted openings since 2021 like The Comedy Vault, Sturdy Shelter Brewing, The GOAT, Geneva Winery, and JT’s Tavern & Tap. He also wrote that older downtown buildings can need hundreds of thousands of dollars in work before a tenant can open, and that some rents don’t reflect the costs needed to renovate those spaces.

The stalled One Washington Place residential project came up in Fahrenbach’s post as well, where he noted that plans for a potential development on Route 31 near the Mill Creek Early Childhood Center could address the housing issue in the future.

In addition to the aforementioned recent closures, the post cited others such as Pal Joey’s, The Tea Tree, Thorabella’s, Grainology Brewstillery, and Olmstead’s TV.

Both the podcast and the blog post spoke to the idea of succession planning, meaning helping owners sell a business rather than shut it down.

Each cited Paula’s, which was sold to a new owner earlier this year. Saam said on the podcast that when Paula told her she planned to close, Saam encouraged her to sell instead. Many small business owners don’t realize their business is worth something to a buyer, Saam said.

Fahrenbach also noted that Boyce Body Works was recently sold to Gerber after 40 years in Batavia.

Council approved a contract with consultant RKG Associates in July to develop an economic development strategic plan for Batavia.

According to city documents, the plan’s purpose is to guide how the city attracts new businesses, keeps existing ones, and encourages redevelopment. It will include a retail gap analysis, which reviews the types of stores and restaurants currently operating in a local market against the ideal mix of businesses it could potentially support.

It will also feature about 20 interviews and three focus groups with business owners, local business groups, brokers, and developers. City staff anticipate completing the plan in 2027.

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