Letter to the Editor: Local small businesses need spaces where they can thrive

This week, the Flagstaff City Council voted to allow the demolition of the former City Hall building on Beaver Street. When the current City Hall opened in 1987, the old City Hall gained a second life, leasing space to everything from barbershops to churches. They weren’t major destinations for visitors, but they were real businesses and organizations serving the community. Together, they formed a small ecosystem under one roof.

Spaces like that are hard to find. A vendor at the farmers market can’t jump straight into a large commercial storefront. Small businesses need an affordable place to test an idea, build a customer base, and grow without taking on enormous overhead.