Sault Downtown Association elects new chair

There are some new faces on the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Association board, including a new chair. This comes as the association is getting ready for what it anticipates will be a busy year.

Nicholas Rosset, co-owner of Savoy’s Jewellers, is the new chair of the board. Savoy’s has been at its downtown location since the 1950s and also has a store in nearby Station Mall.

Rosset’s election as chair makes him the second member of this family to hold the position, as his father was once chair. He said he’s ready to get to work.

“Of course one of the big concerns these days is the safety and security of our downtown, so that’s going to be a big one that we’re going to be tackling,” said Rosset.

“As well, we have the new downtown plaza coming that we’d like to be working on.”

Salvatore Marchese, executive director of the Downtown Association, said this is the first time an election was held to select board members.

Marchese said in previous years, there just weren’t enough candidates to warrant an election. He credits renewed interest in the area.

“People are looking at the downtown and they see what’s going on,” said Marchese.

“We have businesses moving in, we have the plaza coming, we have renewed interest from other people outside of the city and people want to be a part of just making the downtown an improved area to come to.”

Rosset, meantime, is pleased to see new businesses setting up downtown and he’d like to see that trend continue.

“Of course we’re always hoping for more, there’s a few vacancies, but things are moving in a positive direction,” he said, adding there are plans in the works for a series of events this year.

Marchese said there will be some positive changes made to some of those events.

“The city has gone and applied for a street party that’s going to be happening in February for Bon Soo down here,” said Marchese.

“We’ll have our regular events as well, the street parties, Poutine Feast will be back, we’re expanding our Halloween on Queen to be a full street closure this year.”

Rosset and Marchese are hopeful the downtown plaza project will bring more people to the neighbourhood and there will be more money spent at area businesses.

Rosset said the board will also continue to evaluate the effectiveness of security patrols in the core.