Historic downtown Butler is getting to look a little less historic.

The city has undergone a number of changes in the past few years, and new projects are set to give a noticeable new look to downtown.

“The downtown Butler of my childhood is never coming back,” said Bob Dandoy, the president of Butler Downtown. “We need to accept that.”

Dandoy's comments were made evident recently by the announcement that Worsley's on North Main Street will close after 87 years in business.

'A huge impact'

The biggest change downtown — in both physical size and impact — is the Centre City project.

The quasi-governmental project is expected to bring an 80-room Marriot Springhill Suites hotel, 225-lot parking garage, and a new Rite Aid Pharmacy to the block cornered by South Main and East Cunningham streets.

The city redevelopment authority would own 40 percent of the hotel, while the city parking authority would own the parking garage.

“That would be a huge impact in this town,” said Barry Cummings, owner of Cummings Candy and Coffee on North Main Street. “It would bring life into this town.”

The new Rite Aid, which will feature a drive-through pharmacy, is under construction and is expected to open in October.

The hotel is awaiting financing approval from NexTier Bank, which could come this week. If the bank turns down financing, the project likely would be delayed until next year. The parking garage is dependent on the hotel.

Mayor Tom Donaldson said the new hotel is the key to revitalization efforts downtown.

“I'm looking forward to the hotel becoming a reality,” he said. “It's the catalyst to move downtown forward.”

Another big change is the new $8.8 million Butler County office building under construction on South Jackson Street.

The four-level building will provide office space for county Human Services, including Children and Youth Services.

Businesses come, go

But the look of downtown also has changed in addition to these two multimillion projects.

There have been about a dozen new stores open in the past couple years.

“There have been many changes downtown,” said Chelynne Curci, the Main Street manager for Butler Downtown. “And that's an exciting thing.”

But the addition of new shops has coincided with the announcements of some long-standing stores leaving.

Cummings, whose family has owned the coffee shop across the street from Worsley's for more than a century, said the news of its neighbor's closing is worrisome.

“It makes me nervous, to be honest,” he said. “That was an anchor store right across the street for so many years.”

Another staple of downtown may be going.

Owners of Natili Restaurant said in May that the building at the corner of West Wayne and South Main streets is up for sale after 75 years in business. The family wants to focus its attention on Natili North and Natili Pizza on North Main Street.

Flynn Tire closed on Main Street at the end of May. The location has been an auto repair store for decades.

Donaldson said the closings are part of the ongoing struggles of any downtown.

“It's just a fact of the world we live in,” he said, alluding to the shift away from downtown shopping. “It's sad to see them go. You just need to take it in stride, and hope someone else can use the facilities.”

Dunkin' Donuts is reportedly one of the businesses interested in buying the former Flynn Tire property, although the Hermitage-based auto repair company said no sale has been finalized.

While national businesses such as Rite Aid and Dunkin' Donuts would be known names on Main Street, the vitality of downtown will depend on local shops, Dandoy said.

“What we need to look for are specialty places,” he said. “Stores that offer things people can't get anywhere else.”

Dandoy said downtown needs to offer a shopping experience different from malls.

“Downtown needs to reconceptualize along these lines,” he said.

Study under way

To get a better sense of the downtown business district, Butler Downtown is doing a market study on the area.

The study is examining aspects of downtown, including who shops there, where they come from, what they buy, and when they shop.

“We're gathering lots of data,” Curci said.

A summer intern from the Slippery Rock University business management department is assisting with the study, while the rest is being done by volunteers.

Part of the study is an online survey. The 50-question survey asks a variety of questions about people's shopping habits.

Curci said the survey has already shown the most popular time people shop downtown is a two-hour window beginning at 5 p.m.

“There are a lot of after-work shoppers,” she said.

Curci said the market study should be done by the end of the year.

While the study will examine the customers downtown, it also will include information on what businesses are in the district which runs between Penn, Wayne, Washington and McKean streets.

“Part of the process will take inventory or property owners downtown,” Curci said, adding it will also produce a list of vacant buildings available.

Curci said there are more than 300 properties in the district. Of those, fewer than a dozen are vacant.

“I was actually pretty surprised by the number,” she said.

Theater's fate unknown

The most noticeable vacancy is the former Penn Theater, which is in the center of downtown next to Worsley's.

The fate of the building is to be determined. The city redevelopment authority is attempting to reach a deal to have a private firm take it over.

That decision could come this week, as the authority is meeting with the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, which has the mortgage on the property.

Cummings said downtown would benefit greatly if someone could renovate the theater.

“I remember we used to stay open until 10 p.m. to serve the theater crowd,” he said. “If they could get those 40 or 50 (people) downtown at night again, it would be huge.”

A mixed market

The market for business in the city is mixed.

Joe Gray, who owns a half-dozen properties downtown, said there is a poor market for office space.

“Office space is tough,” he said. “Retail and commercial is a lot better.”

Gray said he has had some office space available for three years.

But the same isn't true with apartment rentals, which have a strong demand.

“I haven't finished (renovating) an apartment and not had someone already ready to move in,” he said.

Al Rosenberg, the owner of the Workingman's Store on North Main Street, said he is having success as a business downtown, particularly since he relocated from South to North Main Street.

“Since I've made the move to the center of town, business has increased greatly,” he said.

Rosenberg said his store has benefited from the different events downtown, particularly the Cruise-A-Palooza car cruise that shuts down Main Street each year for a Sunday in June.

“The Cruise-A-Palooza was a great day,” he said with a smile.

Rosenberg said downtown businesses all should benefit from the Centre City project.

“The new Rite Aid and hotel should make downtown more inviting,” he said.

Gray, a member of the city redevelopment authority board, agreed.

“Downtown is poised for improvement,” he said. “A lot of people want to do good things. We just need to get the hotel done.”

Donaldson said the city wants to help attract business, but said it is a difficult thing to do with a tight budget.

“The government can't make jobs,” he said. “It's up to us to help facilitate private businesses, but it's not up to us to make it happen.”

City must keep tax

Perhaps the city's biggest influence on business is its business privilege tax.

All businesses in the city pay a 7 mills tax on gross receipts, although there is an abatement period for new businesses.

“We'd like to lower the business privilege tax, but we just can't,” Donaldson said. That is because the city, which battles a tight budget each year, depends on the income from the tax.

“We can't just walk away from the business privilege tax,” he said. “We need to find other incentives to attract businesses.”

Donaldson believes those incentives are making Butler a more safe and livable community.

“There are a lot of good places to go in Butler,” Donaldson said. “We need to help it continue to grow.”

Here are a number of business and building changes that have occurred in downtown in the past two years:✓ A & R Health Services moved to West New Castle Street✓ All About Reclaimed opened on North Main Street✓ Benjamin Beetle moved to West New Castle Street✓ Butler Brew Works bought property on South Main Street✓ A Butler County office building is being built on South Jackson Street✓ Char Main Street Cafe opened on North Main Street✓ China One opened on South Main Street✓ D.I. Bridal Boutique opened on North Main Street✓ Dominos Pizza opened on South Main Street✓ Flynn Tire on North Main Street closed✓ Focused Fitness opened at East Cunningham Street✓ A new frozen yogurt shop is to open on North Main Street✓ Gilliland Vanasdale Law Office is to open on South Main Street✓ Godfather Vapors is to open on West New Castle Street