If I was Osborne Biz ED

Every cup has a story.  Or so, I have been told in the advertising of that horrible company that claims to be Canadian.

The cup in my picture has a story.  It is a long story.  It is a story of happiness and despair.  An emotional roller coaster, but, I digress.  Perhaps if there is an overwhelming request (2 people), I could be persuaded to tell the story.

Regardless, I enjoy a good cup of coffee.  As I have previously disclosed, it has taken me a while to fall in love with Winnipeg.

One of the ways that people love a city is to be connected to its vibrancy at a direct level.  Sociologists tell us that one way to do this is to sit and observe a busy intersection and to watch the flow of traffic and observe people hustling and bustling.  You see the good and the bad and you also see the diversity of the city.  Traveling in rush hour doesn't help you to be connected to the vibrancy because you are too focused on driving (hopefully).  Right now, sitting and trying to connect at Portage and Main is not possible.  Broadway and Osborne is not a possibility.  River and Osborne meet the criteria.  It is always busy and you can get lost in people watching.  It is an important intersection.  But, Osborne Village is not what it used to be.  When I first moved here in 2006, the Village reminded me of Byward Market in Ottawa.  It was vibrant.  Now, not so much.

And just as every cup has a story, it turns out that The Second Cup has a story.   Located on the corner of River and Osborne, it is prime real estate.  A perfect place to participate to be connected to the city.  They used to have tables outside and was a hub of activity for the corner.  I used to sit there and just get lost in watching people.  I often ended up having a second cup.

Now, it is empty and has been for too long.  I remember when it closed and wondering how that could be.  It was always busy.  How could they not make a go of it?  Further, why would another business not jump on that location for their business? 

What I have heard is that Second Cup requested the owner of the building to do some repairs.  The repairs were not completed and both parties became frustrated.  As an effort to show the building owners they were serious, apparently Second Cup decided to not pay their rent until the repairs were done.  The repairs were not done and after a couple of months, the owners decided to take action to retrieve their unpaid rent, so they locked the Second Cup out of their business.  I don't know much about business but I believe this would be a lose-lose.  The owners can't rent out the space because it is full of Second Cup products and supplies.  Plus, there may be some legitimate repairs to be done.  Second Cup can't operate their business.  I assume employees were caught in the middle and just lost their jobs.  At this point, neither party is motivated to resolve the dispute.  No one is making money and there goes another business in Osborne.

I don't know the job description of the Osborne Biz but I would think that it would be particularly important to ensure that business was happening on its busiest corner.  If I was Osborne Biz ED, I would have been on top of this situation at the beginning.  I would offer my services to all property owners and business providers.  I would have known about this situation prior to the first month that rent wasn't paid.  I would have mediated a solution for both parties that would have kept this business open.  Not only for this business, but for all businesses.  What can I do to keep your business growing?  That would be the question I would be asking and how can I support you?  What can I do to attract business to your empty spots in your buildings?  I would be asking that question.

It would seem to be common sense that this would be the role of the Osborne Biz ED.  I guess that is hard to do when the Office of Osborne Biz has been locked out of their office and the property managers are taking action in Small Claims Court for non-payment of rent.  It really doesn't matter how many balloons or bouncy castles you have at the Canada Day Street Festival, if you don't have full occupancy of the business space, you aren't doing a good job.

Why isn't common sense common practice?

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