ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A simple drive down Central Avenue, you can see the marks of economic struggle. Over the last several months, more than a dozen businesses, including pharmacies, boutiques, gas stations, and cafes, have closed their doors, leaving boarded-up storefronts in their wake.
Even the International District Economic Development Center, a nonprofit organization tasked with revitalizing the area, has shut down.
Businesses Close, Hope Dims for Some
Salt and Board, a former café on Central, is one of the many businesses that didn’t survive. Neighboring business owner Vanessa Vesperman has managed to keep her café open, but not without challenges.
“We have seen not as much foot traffic as we were hoping to be able to see,” Vesperman said, citing parking issues, rising crime, and homelessness as factors driving customers away. “People don’t feel comfortable and safe walking to a business when they feel like they may be interrupted by somebody.”…