Shops close, owners seek other opportunities

NORTH CANAAN — The town center is losing two adjacent businesses.

Marily’s Boutique on Railroad Street will close its doors in the coming weeks. Marily and John McDowd opened nearly six years ago on one side of the street, offering children’s clothing, gift items and space for artist consignment. They later bought a building directly across the street and moved in, decorating the town with artfully done storefront windows.

Everything is deeply discounted now as Marily McDowd prepares to pack up and follow her husband to Virginia Beach, where he has taken a new job.

“We will probably close by the end of March or maybe April,� she said. “It’s all up in the air right now as we try to sell or rent the building and find a home in Virginia Beach.�

As much as she has enjoyed running a business in the center of North Canaan, she said it is a difficult place to make a living as an independent owner.

JLA Heat, Hearth & More was a relative newcomer in a Railroad Street storefront when it moved last summer to the large, prime location on the corner of Main and Railroad streets (formerly Bob’s Clothing and Shoes, which closed about a year ago). It was a boost to downtown commerce to have those large storefront windows occupied. But they were abruptly cleared out about a week ago.

A call to the store offers a recording saying the number has changed. The cell phone number offered has a message saying that “due to the struggling economy, we will not be re-opening the Canaan store on Feb. 16,� but they are still servicing their customers as usual.

Owner J.L. Anderson told The Journal he was concentrating on his heating and air-conditioning business, where things are not as affected by the economy. He will continue to do wood, pellet and gas stove cleaning and re-gasketing.