[dateline] -- Anyone who grew up in Columbus may remember coming Downtown to view the holiday displays in the Lazarus department store windows and, of course, the singing Christmas tree.
But all that retail is gone now, and city leaders are working hard to bring those experiences back downtown, NBC 4's Candice Lee reported
The question is how? Cleve Ricksecker with Capital Crossroads said it will take independent businesses to B 1 Bicycles to get folks back downtown.
"It's going to take several years. We will see retail come back downtown. Against, it's going to be one store at a time," Ricksecker said.
Ricksecker said a city-funded study found $110 million in retail spending potential -- coming from six groups of residents that live and work in and around downtown.
Ricksecker said the best example of rebuilding retail is the Short North, which boasts a thriving retail sector. Its proximity to the Arena District makes it a gold standard for future downtown development.
"Once we bring that sector back, you add that to the holiday shows, add that to the dining the sporting events and downtown will assume its rightful role," Ricksecker said.
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