With a grizzled beard and disheveled hair, Tony Santone paced around the store as he talked.
Less than one year into semi-retirement, Santone longs for the old days. Days when 300 people would frequent his record store, SchoolKids' Music & Clothing, on any given day. Days when the barber, the baker and the car dealer -Santone's fellow Uptown business owners -all would stop by to chat and maybe purchase a record.
Days that started to end, Santone said, when Wal-Mart was constructed in 2002.
That's progress
I guess that downtown shifted he said. It's not here anymore. Downtown is losing that downtown Athens feel.
Santone's business, SchoolKids, closed in 2004 after 25 years in business and two years coexisting with Wal-Mart. But Santone does not blame SchoolKids demise exclusively on Wal-Mart.
The music industry was killed by the downloading
he said. There's more to that then Wal-Mart. We just changed our business model.
As Santone talked, the owner of Donkey Coffee & Espresso, Chris Pyle, walked in to browse Santone's new store, a costume shop called Banana Road, open in the same location as SchoolKids, 12 S. Court St. Pyle is quick to attribute SchoolKids closing to Wal-Mart's construction.
In the old days
this was a hub
he said, gesturing to the costume-filled walls. But Wal-Mart can afford to sell a record for $12 and only take a dollar on it.
Santone nodded his agreement.
The Growth of East State Street Despite the concerns of Santone and Pyle, Athens Chamber of Commerce officials are quick to point out that Wal-Mart is not without its benefits.
There are 400 and some people who are employed over there
said Jennifer Simon, president of the chamber's economic development division. All of them have families and have benefits related to their employment
and it supports them.
President of the chamber's general division, Larry Payne, also said.
Not only has it kept money that we were losing
but also it has brought money in our area
he said. You can't discount the fact that just because it wasn't there
people weren't shopping at Wal-Mart
