By Mike Benbow
Herald Writer
EVERETT — Downtown Everett is losing another piece of its retail history, the victim of a sluggish economy and of planned redevelopment on Hewitt Avenue.
Burnett Jewelers, which has welcomed several generations of shoppers during its 76 years at Hewitt and Wetmore Avenue, is closing Feb. 16.
Mike Swanson, who owns the business with his wife, Carol, said the closure follows a steady decline in business for the past several years and a sharp drop since the terrorist attacks last fall.
"The recession hits us first because, quite frankly, nobody can eat jewelry," Swanson said.
He noted that business dropped by half after Sept. 11.
"Everything we bank on is Christmas," he said. "It was cut in half this year because there just weren’t the people out there shopping."
Swanson said customers have swarmed the place since he announced the closure recently.
"That first day, we had an awful lot of people come running in the door, some of them with tears in their eyes," Swanson said. " They were very upset that we had to close. We heard all kinds of stories about how grandma and grandpa had bought their wedding set here 50 years ago."
Swanson said he, too, has been emotional at times because of his close relationship with customers. But he said the closure is unavoidable, particularly because of the Boeing Co. layoffs and the disruption that will be caused by the city’s construction of a downtown arena.
"This town lives and breathes Boeing," he said. "Every time anything happens at Boeing it causes a tidal wave effect among retailers here."
Swanson said the construction project also will cut into business. "No way can we survive in a climate like that," he added.
So he’s mounting a going out of business sale. More than half the inventory is already gone, he said.
Swanson, who moved here from Pendleton, Ore., said he plans to return to Oregon after the store closes, hopefully to open a new store.
He thanked his customers and also urged the city to focus on bringing more people downtown during the day, rather than just an arena that will attract people to evening events.
"Every community needs a downtown heart, and it’s got to be maintained," he said. "Everett is not cutting the mustard."
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