PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — While the city starts to heal after the manhunt for the Brown University gunman came to a close, small business owners are hoping to eventually recover from the financial hit they’ve taken over the past week.
In the aftermath of the horrific mass shooting on Brown University’s campus, some say Providence’s East Side suddenly went silent.
Flowers line the street at the memorial for two that were killed and nine that were injured in the Brown University shooting. (WJAR)
Most students went home early, and for days, the weight of the tragedy and the fear of a killer on the run kept customers away.
“Business is definitely suffering,” Hannah Galan of Pothos Plant Shop said.
While the financial toll hit businesses hard this past week, on a sunny Saturday in the heart of the holidays, more shoppers were out on the East Side.
“I think that, especially since yesterday, we’ve noticed a lot more people coming in,” a cashier at Pleasant Surprise Luciano Canara said. “It’s starting to feel like the Thayer Street that it was before.”
While the city starts to heal after the Brown University shooting, small business owners are hoping to eventually recover from the financial hit they’ve taken over the past week. (WJAR)
City Councilor Jill Davidson was among the crowd, supporting shops on Thayer Street.
“Those local merchants really need help. I’ve been talking to a few, business has been really light,” Davidson said. “It’s time for us tome come and spend our money in our backyard.”
In the Fox Point neighborhood, cars lined Wickenden Street, another major area shopping spot.
“All these businesses are small businesses. They’re owned by people that live in Providence that are part of the community that also were affected,” Sarah Vincent of Three Wheel Studio said.
Earlier this week, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley acknowledged the challenges business owners are facing during what’s normally one of their busiest seasons.
“The city’s department of economic development in partnership with the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce is reaching out to those business owners to look at assistance programs or otherwise try to support them to ensure that their businesses can stay healthy and vibrant through this,” he said.
Most students went home early, and for days, the weight of the tragedy and the fear of a killer on the run kept customers away. (WJAR)
The owner of Pothos Plant Shop on Ives Street said she has not heard form the city just yet.
Business has been down, but she’s grateful for those who’ve stopped in.
“Businesses such as myself, we work very hard and this is a labor of love. We want to be here and support the community and we appreciate all the love we’ve received back,” Galan said.
