As a downtown building owner I would like to add to the observations in "That empty feeling downtown" (March 16). I am the owner of the Sanford Building, located on the corner of Park and North Main - the infamous empty corner unit that unfortunately seems to have become a symbol of the downtown.

I assure you it was not my intention when I bought her in '04 to have any empty units. When I walked through the building for the first time I fell in love with the design and the look and feel, especially the second floor office suites. After a few touch-ups on the second floor, the building was completely rented out until the end of '06, when the real estate bust cost us many tenants. Over the years we have attracted many folks that leased from us and started up a business only to have it fail within in a year or so.

Focus on #4 South Main, we had a paintball shop, jewelry store and a gift shop all come and go. The number one issue was parking, parking, parking. That is the major reason you see businesses come and go downtown. Also the area looks rundown.

Vacant stores, full municipal trash barrels, no police presence, spray paint marking all over the street and sidewalk, drunk vagrants, mouthy kids. This is all I see and I am at the building at least three times a week. I know the Sanford needs a paint job and will have one this spring; however that will go a small way to revitalizing the area.

So what would I suggest. Here are a few things. Parking: Take about 25 percent of the Balfour Park along County Street and make it a municipal parking lot. Second, keep up the good work with the meter maids; those tickets are keeping folks from leaving their cars along Park and Main all day. Take back the senior center spots at the Mulaney Twins Municipal Parking lot. Find a way to allow the cars to park diagonally along the streets; make South Main a one-way street perhaps.

The CityScape Program: Stop talking about it and actually do it. If the project is executed along the lines of what I saw on those drawings at city hall. it will go a long way in helping the downtown.

Police presence: Let's get a few officers walking the beat downtown..it is a short walk from the police station and would go a long way in helping folks feel safer.

Empty and clean the city trash cans. What started as a good idea has become a disgusting eyesore.

Bring back Christmas: What happened to the wreaths and decorations?

Bring back the Wednesday Night Market.

City Hall could be a lot friendlier to deal with. Some day I would like to tell you about the Quizno's Fiasco!

If the city does not focus on the fixing the downtown then I am afraid that things will remain the same for the future. Hopefully they will not get worse. Every time a potential tenant tells me "I love the location but the parking..." I cringe. The plan for now is to wait it out and hope the city can deliver on the streetscape project finally, as well as the paint job. We will see. Every investor has a streak of optimism on him, mine was a lot wider a few years ago.