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Question and Answer
by Dick Franyo
Three years ago, investment
banker Dick Franyo replaced the old Patton's Pub with the Boatyard
Bar & Grill. Some decried the loss of the old rough hewn
watering hole another sign of a change.
But Mr. Franyo has
had a bigger impact than just opening a popular bar. Now president
of the Eastport Business Association, he provides a voice for the
neighborhood's small businesses.
He recently answered some
questions about Eastport's business climate, his own plans and the
community for Business Editor Rick Hutzell.
Fourth
Street is still looking for momentum, but Sixth Street has had some
recent additions. Where's the economic heat in Eastport these
days?
There are really three main commercial areas in
Eastport, not including maritime which is zoned differently: Sixth
Street, Fourth Street, and the Eastport Shopping
Center.
First, let me tell you about an exciting new
development on Fourth and Sixth. The city has been working with a
local consulting firm (O'Doherty Landscape Architecture Group) to
develop a new streetscape to improve the pedestrian environment and
appearance with trees, landscaping, lighting, paving, benches,
etc.
The plans will be presented to the Planning Commission
on March 17. Once approved, the plans will enter the city's
budgeting and Capital Improvement Process. A new streetscape for
these admittedly somewhat tired looking streets could be critical to
the revitalization of two of our main commercial areas.
Both
the Eastport Business Association the Eastport Civic Association
have been very involved with these efforts.
Growth on Sixth
Street includes the new BB&T building, The Rockfish, a new
restaurant on the corner of Severn and Sixth, and renovation plans
for Mercedes Benz of Annapolis.
Since Sixth Street is the
"gateway" to Spa Creek, protecting views across and down Spa Creek
is a priority.
Fourth Street development will be slow but
steady and with the streetscape facelift has the potential to be a
nice small commercial center serving the needs of the residents and
those who come to Eastport to dine, sail, fish or otherwise hang out
on the bay.
Fourth Street, historically the "main street" of
Eastport and its major commercial area, was the street running over
the old wooden Spa Creek bridge.
When Mike Miron, head of
Economic Development for the City, surveyed Eastport residents and
businesses, the response was strong. Eastport wants a revitalized
commercial Fourth Street. On the wish list are grocery store,
bakeshop, produce market, delicatessen, restaurant and coffee shop,
art gallery, and gift and flower shops.
At the head of
Fourth, potential projects include the renovation of the house
attached to Lewnes' Steakhouse and our transformation of old
Laundromat to the Boatyard Market.
Loni Moyer recently
renovated and expanded 413 Fourth St. and leased the front space to
Wild Thing, a wholesale and retail florist.
Next door, Leon's
Barber Shop is being renovated and expanded by its owners and should
be leased this year.
Farther down Fourth, TSS Software
recently renovated and expanded their office space. The big
potential project will be Hopkins Furniture Warehouse at the corner
of Fourth and Chesapeake.
While, the developers have
preliminary plans only, they are considering residential units on
the top floors with businesses on the ground floor. They have had
several meetings with representatives of the EBA and ECA and
immediate neighbors.
The Eastport Shopping Center, our third
major commercial area, got a huge boost from the beautiful new
Annapolis Athletic Club. It's a wonderful anchor for the center. The
vacant theatre at the other end of the center is a great opportunity
to establish the second anchor.
Mike Miron and Josh Cohen are
discussing potential uses for the space with the center's
owners.
A lot of people don't know that the EBA represents
more than 50 types of businesses. As a business owner and resident,
I can get most of what I need on Sixth and Fourth streets and in the
shopping center: copy center, graphic artist, architect, barbershop,
athletic club, post office, bank, dry cleaner, pharmacy, car
maintenance, picture framing - even a soy latte! - and of course,
some of the best bars and restaurants.
As a boater I can get
everything done right on Spa and Back Creeks.
Tell us more
about what's up with your latest Fourth Street project, the old
laundry next to the Boatyard.
We have all our approvals to
extend the Boatyard into the Laundromat. Next we submit construction
drawings for a building permit.
Our partial demolition of the
inside reveals that the building is "structurally challenged." We
are working through that now.
Our vision isn't simply to add
more Boatyard, rather we envision a Boatyard Market - a mixed-use
market-type space with entrances on Fourth Street and through the
Boatyard's dining room. In addition to the practical applications -
some "quieter dining" and additional bathrooms - we envision soda
fountain seats at a breakfast counter, fresh baguettes, espresso
drinks, and newspapers, a deli with wonderful carry-out food, some
flowers, gifts, and beer and wine to go.
We want to offer a
quick one-stop-shop for Eastporters picking up dinner after work or
anyone heading out on a boat.
Our architect, Don
Reithlingshoefer, also on Fourth Street, designed the Boatyard and
has some really creative ideas for the space. Also, we will restore
the building's original storefront.
The market is part of our
larger vision to return Fourth Street to its glory days of
yesteryear as Eastport's thriving Main Street.
It's been two
or three years since the city surveyed the health of the maritime
zoning district. In that time, there have been some nice
developments. Annapolis Performance Sailing's expansion comes to
mind. But otherwise the maritime business community in Eastport has
been relatively quiet. Who would you rate as the up and comers among
the maritime businesses over there?
Actually maritime
economic activity is booming. The maritime industry is the largest
single industry in the city and certainly in Eastport, on Spa Creek
and both sides of Back Creek, which we include in the
EBA.
Properties with maritime office or shop space are
basically fully occupied. The marinas are expanding the size of
their slips to accommodate larger boats. Winter boat storage is
difficult to find if you waited too late in the season.
Of
course all of these boats need a lot of work before they are
launched in the spring, creating a nice revenue source. Eastport
Yacht Club is considering expansion. I hear Severn Sailing
Association is booked for the upcoming season for small boat sailing
and short on space for additional boats.
Slip rentals on both
creeks are difficult to find. SpinSheet, a great maritime economic
barometer, just gets thicker with each issue. Larger workshop space
is scarce on this side of Back Creek - Larry Belkov had to build his
new boat building and woodwork joinery facility over at Bert Jabin's
yard on Edgewood Road where there was available construction
space.
But you're right to say new maritime construction is
relatively quiet. I believe, however, that the state of business
activity is a better metric of the "health of the maritime zoning
district" than new construction. It is difficult for me to single
out particular businesses that are "up and comers" and any list will
be incomplete.
Of course, Annapolis Yacht Sales has been
expanding rapidly. Performance Cruising is building a lot of its
multi-hulls on Back Creek. Annapolis Performance Sailing built and
expanded into a nice building on maritime-zoned property on Severn
Ave.
J/World and J/Port are growing their businesses, as are
the sail makers, several which are now global operations.
The
hot issue going forward is the cost of improving or renovating
maritime zoned property in light of the significant discrepancies
between maritime rent and non-maritime, commercial rent.
Some
maritime property owners say renovation is too costly given the
current rents that maritime businesses can afford. The EBA and ECA
both have maritime committees and have a joint study under way to
help them understand this complex subject.
You've been at the
Boatyard for three years now. How's the transition working from
finance to small-business owner?
After 30 years of trains and
planes, I'm amazed how seamless the transition has been. In just a
handful of years, the Boatyard has become a huge part of my life,
maybe an extension of my soul and being.
When I was in high
school in Bethesda I sang in a Kingston Trio-type folk group. We
played the bar circuit in D.C. and this was one of the highlights of
my life. I loved the bar scene and lifestyle for its lively
atmosphere, the casual food and drink, and often-eclectic mix of
people.
Throughout college, the Navy, graduate business
school and 30 years as an investment banker I always gravitated to
local bars and pubs. I was never a white tablecloth kind of
guy.
I've always been intrigued by bars and what
differentiates them - how they look and feel that makes them unique,
a little oasis offering a slice life whether in Maine, New York, Key
West and of course the islands.
I knew that if I was lucky
enough, I wanted to build a business incorporating my lifestyle
interests. Also I wanted a second career to prove to myself that I
was not a "one trick pony."
For me it's always been about
boats and the bay. I have hung around the Chesapeake in Maryland and
Virginia my whole life. Boating, fishing, crabbing and sailing were
what I dreamed about on the "red eye" flights from the West Coast
and metro-liner trains to New York.
For many years I have
been concerned about the decline of the bay I knew as a kid and I
have been a part of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's efforts to "Save
the Bay" for quite a while.
The Boatyard for me is a platform
for sharing with others my passion for the Bay and its special
lifestyle. I believe bars should be made of wood, be on or near the
water, have screens to let the breezes in, serve good fresh food,
have pint drinks for thirsty local sailors, fishermen and bay
enthusiasts, have an eclectic local clientele (that includes kids! -
I have a 3 year old).
I believe a bar should stand for
something (i.e. have a focus that is simple, pure and can be
summarized in one sentence). Our general manager, Tammy Reece, a
smart, energetic restaurant pro, has afforded us the opportunity to
focus on the "lifestyle" part of our mission - to create a place
where "local sailors, fishermen and lovers of the Chesapeake come to
relax and enjoy pint drinks and great food."
We try to
practice what we preach so we give 1 percent of our sales to the
Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other Bay causes. We contract with
T2P.TV for the filming of sailing and support local regattas. We
have our huge Opening Day Spring Fishing Tournament and Party for
the Bay, Full Moon and Sock Burning parties and so forth.
We
recently produced a wonderful CD, "Songs of the Chesapeake Bay,"
with WRNR Voices of the Chesapeake DJ Michael Buckley, from which
the proceeds benefit several bay related causes and have had two
very successful concerts with the artists. We hope to work on other
projects with Michael in the future.
Although my wife says
I'm still a workaholic, I try to enjoy the lifestyle we
espouse.
Public safety is a big concern for residents of
Eastport right now, with some high profile street crimes recently.
Are business owners in the neighborhood doing anything to improve
safety for their clients and employees?
The EBA and ECA have
been working together since last fall to address common concerns,
including public safety. Many of us attended a special joint meeting
on Jan. 12 and heard the Annapolis Police Department and several
citizens tell us how the community can combat crime.
Days
later, when a 15-year old boy was assaulted as he walked home from
school in Eastport, the community took action. On Jan. 25, more than
200 residents and business owners packed Eastport Methodist Church
to hear the Annapolis Police Department advise us how to make
Eastport businesses and residents safer.
Since then more than
100 people have volunteered their support and energy to a joint
public safety initiative, named the Eastport Neighborhood and
Business Watch. Civic leader Dennis Conti brought us his experience
from Clay Street. The EBA and ECA met with the Police Department to
begin training for our Watch programs so that as Lieutenant Beans
says, we'll make "criminals feel very uncomfortable in
Eastport."
Published March 14, 2005
Copyright ©
2005 Capital-Gazette Communications, Inc.
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