Walk through downtown Plymouth and it’s hard to see any signs of the state’s tough economy. Finding a vacant storefront is nearly impossible. Construction workers are practically throwing up new condos that sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. And people are constantly milling about downtown, picking up a latte, window shopping or taking a moment to read a book in the shade in Kellogg Park.

Developers and businesses have found ample opportunity to make money in Plymouth. So much so that asking what businesses do well in the small town’s downtown is the wrong way to start exploring making money in one of Metro Detroit’s wealthier suburbs.

“Actually you want to ask what businesses haven’t done well,” says Sherrie Pryor, operations director for the Plymouth Downtown Development Authority. “We have done quite well. The people feel the economy but our businesses are doing quite well.”

There isn’t one reason or magic silver bullet that has created this prosperity. Several key factors have been put into place over the years to create one of Metro Detroit’s most vibrant downtowns. These factors range from public investment into infrastructure, such as street lighting and a parking ramp, to fostering a business community focused on finding solutions that benefit everyone.

Street lamps and parking decks

Downtown Plymouth hasn’t always been as vibrant as it is today. The little country town went through its own trials and tribulations in the 1970s and 1980s like most other downtowns in America as consumers demanded acres of wide-open parking lots and flocked to new malls and big-box retailers.

Plymouth countered this by investing millions in its downtown to make sure it remained a competitive commercial center. The city built a new parking deck in the 1980s, fitting it in snuggly behind some downtown storefronts near Kellogg Park, the city’s center. But downtown really started to take off when city leaders turned on some new lights in the early 1990s.

“The streetscape was sort of the catalyst,” Pryor says. “People’s attitudes also started to change. People wanted to live in downtown areas.”

The new infrastructure included street lamps, sidewalks, trash cans and benches, lots of benches. Pryor points out that the DDA tries to work in new, decorative benches into any place in downtown where there is extra room. It’s one of the features that make the area welcoming and convenient for shoppers and residents.

“That has made us look a lot better and a lot of people think that made it possible for us to survive,” says Sharon Peigh, a downtown store owner. “Anything you can do to make you look better helps.”

Removing parking meters and downtown’s 250-space parking deck is another one of those amenities that helps keep downtown attractive to residents and businesses. Those parking spots are used by everyone from downtown workers, residents and shoppers. It has become so popular that the city plans to invest another $4 million into it for an expansion, adding another 142 spaces.

“We’ve got a good thing going and we want to make sure we keep it going,” says Paul Sincock, the city manager for Plymouth.

Business cooperation

If a rising tides lifts all boats, then Plymouth’s downtown business community believes downtown is at its best when businesses are working together to improve it for everyone. It’s a big reason why there is 1-percent vacancy rate for downtown storefronts.

“There is a great network and the businesses work together to build each other,” Pryor says. “They really work together to make each other become successful.”

Peigh has been one of those business leaders for more than 30 years. The owner of Sideways Inc., a home décor store that has become a downtown institution, goes out of her way to make sure new businesses stick around and her fellow merchants are on the same page. She and other downtown merchants consistently work together on the little details, such as making sure their hours are close to uniform and their streetscapes are clean.

“We care very much about how our town looks and that it’s kept clean and well maintained,” Peigh says. “That’s a key to the success of downtown.”

Another key point Peigh, who lives above her store, and Pryor make are how so many of downtown’s businesses are owned by small-business owners like Peigh who live in Plymouth. This type of relationship lends itself to business owners taking the best care they can of their community.

“Our businesses are sort of unique because most of them are owned by individuals or families,” Pryor said. “We do have a Panera Bread and a Starbucks, but most of our businesses are small businesses and a lot of them are owned by young women. These are women in their mid 20s and their businesses are flourishing.”

What Plymouth needs

Downtown Plymouth has been evolving from a strictly commercial area to more a neighborhood. It’s evident from the number of restaurants, coffee shops and other service-related businesses that have opened up in recent years, along with all of the new condos sprouting up all over the downtown area.

Washington, Mich.,-based Meridien Development is moving forward with the Parkside of Plymouth project on Penniman Avenue, which will add 18 more condos priced between $265,000 and $315,000. The 3.5-story structure is going up on the site of an old Masonic Temple that overlooks Kellogg Park. It’s set for completion this fall.

Meanwhile work on the Daisy Square development near downtown, on the site of the old Red Ryder BB Gun factory, is moving forward. Chicago-based Joseph Freed Homes is building more than 150 townhouses and lofts ranging in prices between $180,000 and $330,000. And these are just a couple of the biggest developments in downtown.

The demand to live in and near Plymouth’s central business district and opportunity to build those homes is there. It’s also there for more service-related businesses, like a pharmacy or supermarket.

“We need a market,” Peigh says. “There is a calling for that because I know I would go over there before getting in my car and driving to Kroger.”

Pryor agrees. She would like to see a few other things, like a book store or more coffee shops so it can become more self sustainable.

“The downtown has to make sure it has everything for everyone,” Pryor says.