The library is downtown Medford closed in April, and lots of nearby businesses are suffering because of it. There are differing opinions among town residents…
Somkanay Dechasiri, owner of The Tasty Thai restaurant a few blocks south of the library on Central has seen a dip in business that has been more significant than other summers. “I’m sure closing down the library has not helped at all.This summer has been a little slow.”
“The loss of the library is a blow to downtown Medford” said Ben Tresser, owner of the Yellow Submarine Sandwich Shop, also pointing to the empty lot of the proposed Bella Vita, a commercial and residential project. “This whole renaissance and rejuvenation of the downtown is stalled,” he said
But Jackie Rodgers, MURA (Medford Urban Renewal Agency) director, said she didn’t see any dramatic problems for the revitalization of the downtown caused by the empty library.
“We see no negative impact from the closure,” she said. “There’s no panic, no reason to say that everything has stopped for what we see as a temporary closure.”
15 branches, 4 months…
I can’t believe there was no funding for a library system after certain other funding didn’t appear. 4 months and ticking…