After decades of hard-won progress throughout downtown Eau Claire, the mood has shifted as a wave of high-profile closures and new challenges test its resilience. But what happens next depends on all of us.

There have been a handful of moments over the last couple decades when downtown Eau Claire has seemed to reach some kind of tipping point. Usually, I’ve written about those moments with excitement. A decade or so ago, downtown was filled with cranes, construction crews, new businesses, new buildings, and new ideas. After years of talking about revitalization, something had finally clicked. The question was whether Eau Claire could build enough momentum to keep it going. Lately, I’ve been thinking about tipping points again. Though this time it’s a little different.

These last few months, and accelerating just these last couple weeks, we’ve had enough headline bummers to create what feels like a somewhat precarious moment downtown. The Micon Downtown Cinema, dark for months after smoke damage from the fire next door at B-Framed Galleries (which then permanently closed), recently announced its closure too. The pair of buildings are now up for sale, though a deed restriction on the theater side means another operator can’t simply step in and reopen it for movies. Then Tangled Up in Hue, one of downtown’s most recognizable independent retailers for the last 18 years, announced it will close its storefront at the end of the year. On Water Street, the popular Dooley’s Pub just announced the end of its 21-year run as well. A handful of other retailers and restaurants — from Eau Claire Outdoors to Galloway Grille and Hive & Hollow to Blue Ox Running and more — have also downsized, closed, or left downtown this year. If you listen to the wind, there are rumors more may be coming. And, unrelated to local economics but certainly part of the emotional landscape, we recently watched the remains of the historic Drummond House come tumbling down after the remarkable home was struck by lightning and burned.

Any one of these things would be unfortunate; some are simply the normal ebb and flow of business and life. But stack it all together in a short period of time and our city center suddenly feels like it has taken a few too many punches.

AND WHERE TO PUT THE CAR?

Then there’s parking. You knew it was coming. Since August, downtown has been adjusting to its new paid parking system, and depending on who you ask, it is either a minor inconvenience or one of the worst things ever inflicted upon civilization. As usual, reality probably resides somewhere between. Some people adapted easily: Download the app, pay a dollar or two, walk away. Others genuinely find the system frustrating. They don’t want another app, struggle with the kiosks, or simply don’t want to pay for something before even walking into a business. Whether the rest of us consider those objections reasonable almost doesn’t matter. If enough people decide downtown feels too hard to visit, that becomes an economic reality for the businesses still here.

I can speak for us at The Local Store. Sales had been running roughly 10% ahead of the previous year, on average, every month from January through July this year. We worked hard to make those stats happen. When August arrived, along with paid parking, we finished down 10%. That’s a 20-point swing to the negative compared to the rest of the year. However, September recovered and essentially flattened out. Does that prove parking caused the decline? Not entirely. But it certainly didn’t help. And while one store is not an economic study, a survey showed many other downtown businesses reported losses as well. Clearly, there’s often more to it. Tourism changes, weather changes, consumer behavior and the economy change. Events matter. A hundred variables affect retail. But would it also be foolish to pretend paid parking hasn’t hurt? Yeah, it would.

“Spend five minutes on social media and you’ll find people who know exactly why every business closes. It’s parking. City council. Homelessness. Inflation. Landlords. Amazon. Taxes. Usually it’s whatever that person was already angry about before clicking on the story.”

This is where I wish we could all become a little more comfortable with nuance. Spend five minutes on social media and you’ll find people who know exactly why every business closes. It’s parking. City council. Homelessness. Inflation. Landlords. Amazon. Taxes. Usually, the cause is whatever that person was already angry about before clicking on the story. But businesses — and communities — rarely work that way. A beloved store can have loyal customers and still struggle with rising costs. An owner can simply need a change after 21 years. Parking can make an already struggling business even tougher without being the only thing that killed it. And two things can be true: Paid parking can be inexpensive and manageable for most people but also create enough additional friction to hurt downtown businesses. That gray area is where the useful conversation lives. And either way, city leaders would be wise to watch carefully.

DON’T WRITE THE OBITUARY YET

But none of this means downtown Eau Claire is collapsing. Far from it. New restaurants continue to open, including the (quite good) Chao Eatery and forthcoming Condesa, which will become the first tenant of the long-vacant Haymarket Plaza space. On Water Street, Cornelia’s Home Market has added a new shopping destination and it’s even been announced the Dooley’s location will become the Camaraderie Social House come December. The Eaux Claires Festival came back over the summer, this time to the heart of the city, with warm reviews. The Carson Park stadium where it was held is getting sizable community-supported upgrades. GSB Thrifting took over the Hive & Hollow space with vintage apparel and Threads Clothing moved in after Blue Ox Running left for River Prairie. Heck, even that absurdly long Transit Center project finally opened its gates (though construction on the above apartments frustratingly continues). Long-lasting restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and retailers still draw people downtown. Live music and comedy are strong. Theaters fill seats. New murals are popping up. The Pablo Center, Children’s Museum, Sculpture Tour, Phoenix Park, and plenty more continue to give people reasons to head downtown.

The fact is: Our current downtown remains one of Eau Claire’s greatest success stories. But success is not self-sustaining. Downtowns are ecosystems. A movie theater helps a restaurant. A restaurant helps a retailer. A concert fills a hotel. An art opening sends people to a bar. A festival introduces someone to a business they return to years later. Thousands of small interactions reinforce one another. As they say, a rising tide lifts all boats. But the inverse is true too. And those effects are real in downtowns more than anywhere else.

Which brings me to the part where I ask you to do something. Go downtown. For real. Even if parking annoys you. Especially if it does. Figure out the app, feed the kiosk, or grab a quick-stop space. Come when parking is free (before 1pm and on Sundays!). Or — gasp — walk an extra block if you’re able. And absolutely keep telling city leaders what works and what doesn’t. But don’t punish dozens of independent businesses because you’re frustrated by a decision those businesses didn’t make. As we head into what may prove to be one of the most critical holiday seasons for downtown in a while: Buy a gift there. Have dinner, grab coffee, see a show. Maybe listen to some music, visit a gallery, or wander through some shops. And most importantly — tell somebody about a place you love. For small businesses without big budgets, those moments matter enormously.

AND FOR WHAT’S TO COME?

We already built a better downtown. But the question is now — can we keep it? Our responsibility today may be a little different: Take care of the folks who are already putting in their effort, and — with your time and attention — make room for the next generation of people and ideas.

When Tangled Up in Hue leaves, who takes a chance on that space? What new experience could replace some of what the Downtown Cinema provided? But even bigger — what kinds of businesses are we missing that would get local support? What entrepreneur is sitting somewhere right now with an idea that sounds slightly ridiculous — until suddenly it works?

Eau Claire has reinvented itself before. Downtown certainly has. Buildings have burned and businesses have closed. Employers have disappeared and entire blocks have struggled. And then somebody comes along with an idea. That’s the cycle. Maybe this isn’t a crisis or a collapse. Maybe it’s simply a warning light telling us to pay attention.

A couple decades ago, the challenge was getting enough people to believe downtown Eau Claire could become something more. But then a whole lot of people did believe. Some took risks. They restored buildings, opened stores, organized events, and invested money. And then countless others showed up to support it all. Were you one of them? More importantly, will you be now?