Ask Dave Eatwell about the advantages of living in an urban area close to transportation and he’ll tell you how good public transit can be the key to drawing more people to the city’s core.

Eatwell knows from experience. When he headed a Portland neighborhood economic development organization, he helped persuade the city to extend its light-rail system through the neighborhood. That light-rail system spurred millions in new development in the neighborhood.

Now as executive director of the Puyallup Main Street Association, he’s trying to harness the power of the city’s status as a stop on the Sounder commuter rail system.

As head of the largest Main Street association in the state, Eatwell has much to brag about on Puyallup’s behalf and much to wish for to further enhance its downtown revival.

Eatwell recently talked about downtown Puyallup’s progress and possibilities:

How is downtown doing during the latest national economic slowdown?

I recently did a survey. It wasn’t scientific. I sent an e-mail to downtown businesses asking them how they were doing in the second quarter of this year. By and large, our downtown businesses are bucking the national trend. Some of them are doing extremely well. On the average, their revenues are up 26 percent over the first quarter and a little bit less than 26 percent over the second quarter last year.

What developments downtown in the last few years have enhanced its viability and attractiveness?

I think that there have been some major infrastructure projects that have a very long payback for Puyallup. There’s the new City Hall (opening Aug. 4). And the library. And the Pavilion. All of them will serve this city for scores of years to come. And I think that the Sounder station long term has the potential of being a huge asset to downtown.

How can the Sounder station benefit downtown?

Your transportation system tends to be that thing that defines your community. Right now the Sounder system is in its infant stage. I look ahead to those years that they start running Sounder frequently in both directions. We need some form of transportation that starts downtown and ties it to the hospital and Benaroya (the former Microchip plant) and South Hill and the fairgrounds. When you put steel rails into the ground, developers tend to build around it. Since Portland built its Streetcar, there has been something like $3.5 billion worth of development around those tracks. Talk about an economic development engine.

But some Puyallup residents are complaining that the increased patronage on the Sounder commuter trains is eating up all the available parking downtown. Others have even suggested moving the station away from downtown. How do you deal with that parking issue?

We have developed a plan that we’ve presented to the City Council. We have lots of parking, but it’s just poorly distributed. The system sets up three zones, one in the downtown core, one a little farther out and one in the surrounding residential area. We would use a permit system to allow downtown merchants and employees to park all day in the second zone and another set of permits to allow residents to park in the housing areas. The central, or green zone, would have a three-hour limit designed for downtown patrons and customers. Drivers who parked over the time limit or didn’t have a permit would be ticketed.

Where would the overflow customers from Sounder lots park?

I wanted to put together a plan that had no infrastructure changes. So we found large parking areas that are not generally used Monday through Friday during the day when commuters need to park. There are churches in the area that are used only on Sunday. There is some parking available at Sparks Stadium and at the Fair and at South Hill Mall. The goal should be finding new parking without paving new surfaces. Sound Transit would provide a shuttle.

What’s at the top of Main Street’s downtown wish list?

If I could have anything, my first choice would be a movie theater but not necessarily a metroplex that shows 12 movies at a time. I’m thinking of a smaller facility that’s more family-oriented. I’m thinking of something that’s open every night and shows movies. One of our major goals is to find more for people to do downtown at night. If I could have my heart’s desire, Mike and Brian McMenamin would take over the old Manor down here, the former Elks Club. That is a lead pipe cinch as a brew pub theater in the manner that the McMenamins are doing all over Oregon.

How would a new theater change downtown’s profile?

When you have things that bring people downtown later, merchants tend to stay open later. One of the problems we have downtown is the hours of operation. Many of our stores close at five. Most people are just beginning to get off work then. If you’re only open from 10 to 5, it means that most of your clientele is either unemployed or on a fixed income because most people work during those hours. Seventy-seven percent of all purchases are made after five o’clock and on weekends. So if you’re only open Monday through Friday 10 to 5, you’ll have to subsist on 23 percent of the market. Don’t expect to thrive.

John Gillie: 253-597-8663

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Puyallup Main Street Association

Founded: 1992

Members: 140

Executive director: Dave Eatwell

Staff: Four full-time and three part-time

Major projects: Downtown development, Puyallup Farmers Market, Meeker Days