Shopkeepers, restaurant owners, and other service providers of Walden have been unsatisfied with the state of local business in the village for years, whether due to the lack of foot traffic on Main Street or the desolate storefronts collecting dust. In response to these issues, more than a dozen business owners met on June 27 in Wooster Grove’s gym and formed the Walden Business Council, a spiritual successor to the Walden Business Association from the early 2000s.

During the council’s first meeting, the attendees discussed their goals, the issues that businesses face in Walden, and plans for economic growth. The group’s core objective is to foster a friendly, productive environment in the village that would attract new businesses, support longstanding ones, and spark engagement with the community. Diversity is especially a key component, and the council seeks to expand the variety of stores and services available to residents and visitors.

“The businesses in Walden have struggled for a long time. We’ve always had vacancies on our main street, but now we have a lot of commercial properties available,” said Cheryl Baker, a former village trustee and a facilitator of the council. “Walden’s had a hard time drawing in businesses from outside the community. The point of this group is to help revitalize Walden and to outreach more with the community, with businesses building the bridge.”

“We don’t have the diversity that you see in other places like Beacon or Newburgh or even Montgomery,” she continued. “Our sidewalks are empty and people aren’t walking, but that’s something we can change by inviting businesses in and trying to get diversity in there so we can appeal to a broader audience.”

Some of the council’s current initiatives include improving signage and beautifying the corridors on Main Street, making the storefronts more visible and appealing. To connect with residents, the group will host vendor fairs, revive the all-day sales extravaganza “Discover Walden,” and participate in events like National Night Out and Walden’s Harvest Fest. Baker noted that the group may collaborate with the Business Council of Greater Montgomery, whether by enrolling in the Entrepreneurial Success Program or learning pointers from Randi Picarello, executive director of BCGM.

“I’ve spoken with Randi Picarello.She’s done an amazing job with Montgomery. They do great with having the ESP classes,” Baker said. “I would encourage any businesses to reach out to her if they wanted to take classes that are being offered there, and she offered numerous times. Any advice or questions that we have, we can always reach out to her.”

The Walden Business Council will meet again on Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m. in the village’s municipal building, where the group will establish a board. Everyone is welcome to attend and contribute to the conversation.

“It’s hard to go forward with something if you don’t have the support for it, but these businesses certainly have indicated the willingness and interest to do so,” Baker said. “We have several that are passionate about addressing those issues, which makes a really big difference. I am positive that we can start chipping away at some of the concerns and goals that the council wants done.”

For more information, email waldenbusinesscouncil@gmail.com or visit the council’s Facebook page.