By Scott Jason
The D Magazine
www.thedmerced.com

At a downtown merchants meeting almost three years ago, some of the new business owners questioned what Merced was doing to reinforce the fragile economy as signs of trouble mounted.

Diva Accessories owner Tami Davidson, who has watched Main Street struggle and thrive for 17 years, lifted a phrase from President John F. Kennedy to inspire her fellow shopkeepers.

“We need to ask not what the city can do for us,” she told them. “We need to ask what we can do for the city.”

That meeting may have been the spark that, in the face of the Great Recession, has made downtown not only survive — but in many ways — thrive.

“Energy was built on energy,” Merced Development Manager Frank Quintero said. “We are very proud of what has been accomplished downtown.”     >>read more