MARIETTA — Residents want to hang out on the Marietta Square, but it will take more than what it currently offers to keep them around.
That’s what developer Merritt Lancaster, one of the founders of Bridger Properties, told about 50 people during a panel on the Square’s economic health at the Marietta History Center this week.
It was the second time Lancaster heard from local residents in as many weeks.
Earlier this month, he and his business partner, Jack Arnold, held a community meeting for feedback on their plan for a 84-foot-tall, 135-unit residential building downtown.
On Wednesday, the focus was the economic health of the Square, moderated by Tom Browning, a local attorney and chair of the Downtown Marietta Development Authority.
As one of its major, albeit new stakeholders, Lancaster answered questions alongside others on the Square, including Randy McCray of Mac’s Chophouse; Marion Savic of the Local Exchange; Brittney Gray, executive director of Visit Marietta; Andy Gaines, executive director of the Strand Theatre; and Rachel Langelotti, the city’s downtown project manager.
Unlike the other panelists, Lancaster and his firm have stirred controversy in recent months.
“We just kind of snuck in here and didn’t make much noise,” he said to plenty of laughs.
Keeping dollars in the Square
Bridger’s entrance into the Gem City, in fact, has been anything but quiet.
In September, tenants along Church Street, where Bridger purchased numerous storefronts, learned from the developer that their rents were being hiked, or that their leases would not be renewed at all.
Some businesses left as Bridger began putting “for lease” signs in windows along Church Street.
Since then, things have grown strained between Bridger and some locals, notably the city’s leadership.
Speaking last month about Bridger forcing tenants out of the Church…
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