LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) -
With restoration and expansion
projects like the Pines Theater and Lufkin Civic center set to open in the December,
the Lufkin Main Street is working to revitalize the city and fill the streets
of downtown.
"If you can bring people downtown
get them interested and excited just so they'll come look," said Keith
Wright, Deputy City Manager.
Tuesday afternoon Lufkin Main Street
hosted the city's first cash mob.
Community members marched through the
streets of downtown to mob one local retailer.
Main street director Barbara Thompson
says business downtown has been slow and the mob is the push downtown merchants
need.
"If its five or 10 people that
come in that business, its still more people than maybe they would have seen,"
said Thompson.
Downtown store owners voted and Circle
E. Candles and Quality Bargains as the location for the first mob.
The main street plans to host several
throughout the year.
"It will get people to stick
around because there will be other sales going on downtown and people get a
chance to walk around and look and see what else is going on," said
Thompson.
Carlis Picha owns Circle E. Candles and says
cash mobs will expose the community to downtown treasures they might have
overlooked.
"It will brings us more sales and
revenue and it will introduce the public to what we have, they'll come and
they'll keep coming," said Picha.
As enhancements continue officials hope the
mobs will encourage people to discover local shops and breathe life into
downtown.
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