Apr 3, 2010

Delafield businesses are ready for better daysBy Doris HajewskiJSOnline.com

Delafield — When Donna Lee Stecker opened her boutique clothing store 10 years ago on Genesee St., Delafield’s historic downtown was a busier place.

The economy was strong, and the town had an antique mall and regular sale events that drew thousands to the Lang Co., a gift and calendar publishing business.

“We had all that tourism,” Stecker recalled from behind the counter of her small shop on a quiet weekday morning. “Now we don’t.”

Many things are different now. The antique shops closed years ago, and Lang, under new ownership after a bankruptcy, has moved out of the city. The economy has tanked.

Less visible, but of equal importance, Bob Lang, the man many credit for the way the city looks today, no longer owns the 19 colonial-style buildings he designed and built. Some say the city lost its heart after ownership of 13 of the office and retail buildings passed to a new young investor, Jason Steiner, in 2007.

But Stecker and other business owners say they’re coping with the new realities, and compared with other retail areas, Delafield isn’t doing half-bad.

Western Waukesha County, which includes Oconomowoc and Delafield, has a retail vacancy rate of 8.9%, according to a report released last week by CB Richard Ellis. That is lower than the 11.6% average vacancy rate for the six-county southeastern Wisconsin area.

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