After 5 Closings in Arnold, Councilman Says 'Sky Not Falling Yet'

This is part one of a two-part series on the atmosphere in the Arnold business community following a series of closings this year.

Broadneck's county councilman said the closing of five businesses in four months is an indication that the local economy has an uphill battle to recovery.

Since December, five businesses have closed in Arnold—many of them longtime shops with a history. Some have been replaced by newer businesses, but most haven't.

• December—Admiral Cleaners in Arnold Station closed and was replaced a month later by Chesapeake Cleaners
• January—, and is now in the process of being replaced by Cheers: Wine and Beer.
• February— after 25 years in business in the Bay Dale Shopping Center.
• March—Shane & Kauffman Salon's owners announced they would close in April after 16 years in Arnold.
• April—, closed in the Bay Dale shopping center. 

Patch asked Anne Arundel County Councilman Dick Ladd, who oversees the Broadneck region on the council, what his thoughts were about this trend.

"I don't think the sky is falling, but I do think there is more gloom to come in the economy before we see an uptick," Ladd said. "I think people are just worn down. They can't hang on anymore."

Business Owners Point to Shift in 2011

In the case of the Bay Dale Shopping Center business closings, both owners told Patch that two years ago, traffic into their stores began slowing down. Proprietors have attributed that slowdown to the transition of the shopping center's anchor store from Superfresh to Fresh & Green's in 2011.

Bay Hills Card & Gift's former owner Brad McCormack said he noticed a distinct decline in traffic at the Bay Hills Shopping Center that year.

"As of two years ago, I began to start sweating paying the bills in the summertime," McCormack said.

Ladd said the success of grocery stores is tied to the competition in the region, noting that there is a Safeway and Graul's Market located within five miles of each other, with Fresh & Green's in the middle.

"The competition in that business is very strong," Ladd said. "And there's no argument that the key to making these sites successful are the anchor stores."

The councilman said during the course of public hearings for the stormwater management bill this year, he heard several stories from local business owners. Many told Ladd that they were "close to the edge" in their profit margins. Anything that further disrupts that delicate balance can prove fatal for a small business, Ladd said.

"I think prices are going up, and I don't think the employment picture and people's income are keeping up," he said. 

The outlook for Arnold may not be all gloom and doom though. In part two of this series, Patch will examine the changes coming to local shopping centers that could jump-start the economy.