Main Street Monopoly: Because Who Needs Options Anyway? (Spoiler Alert: Everyone)

By Josiah Carrasco

Ah, Main Street—the idyllic heart of every charming small town, where neighbors exchange smiles over overpriced coffee and pretend they actually enjoy antique shopping. In Fort Stockton, our beloved Main Street is not just nostalgic; it is practically sacred. Or at least it should be, but for as long as I have been alive, it has been owned by one person.

Growing up here, I never got to experience a Main Street filled with diverse businesses, different families owning their piece of downtown, or a variety of shops that made it exciting to visit. Sites like the old Pecos County Courthouse and the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum remind us of a time when Fort Stockton had more to offer, back when the town had true character and an actual thriving economy. Families once enjoyed afternoons window shopping, stopping for a treat at a locally owned soda fountain, and supporting businesses that had their own unique touch. Now, we have a downtown dictated by a single vision, and frankly, that is not what a Main Street should be.

See, a lively Main Street benefits everyone. Small businesses create jobs, stimulate the local economy, and provide the sort of personalized experiences big-box chains could never replicate. When you shop locally, your dollar actually stays in the community. It helps families, supports dreams, and builds genuine connections among neighbors. But when one business owns nearly all of downtown, opportunities disappear. Instead of fresh ideas and a variety of shops, we get stagnation, limited choices, and a Main Street that feels more like a private empire than a public space.

And while we are on the topic of variety, can we talk about the overwhelming number of bars? Yes, drinking can be fun for those who enjoy it, but what about the people who do not drink or who prefer not to spend their nights in the bar scene? It is sad that once the sun goes down, there is practically nothing to do downtown. Sure, we put up some fairy lights, but what good do they do if nobody is actually downtown at night? A lively Main Street should have spaces for all kinds of people, not just those looking for a drink. Late-night coffee shops, live music venues, art galleries, and even bookstores could bring new life to downtown if only the opportunity existed.

A thriving Main Street requires effort, commitment, and, most importantly, competition. Preserving historic buildings, improving public spaces, planting trees and flowers, and encouraging local entrepreneurs all contribute to making downtown inviting and dynamic.

Community events such as farmers markets, festivals, and parades should bring people together, but even those feel hollow when they exist in a downtown with no real variety. A one-owner Main Street makes it difficult for new businesses to enter, keeping Fort Stockton in a cycle where growth remains just out of reach.

And let’s be real who benefits from this? Having a single entity dominate downtown does not foster economic prosperity. It inflates prices, reduces choices, and creates an eerie sense of uniformity. Monopolies do not breed innovation; they crush it. They drive out competitors, making it impossible for anyone else to gain a foothold. And yet, the question remains: what does this owner really gain from controlling all of downtown? Is it wealth, power, or just the satisfaction of being the sole decision-maker? More importantly, what does Fort Stockton lose in the process?

I know firsthand what it is like to be locked out of a dream. My company, The Carrasco Publishing Co. and The Carrasco Chronicle, would love to have a storefront here. We want to move our headquarters downtown, give our community a place to gather for readings, local news, and discussions that matter. But with one person holding the keys to Main Street, that dream is nearly impossible. There is no room for us, just as there is no room for countless other businesses that would love to set up shop in the town they call home.

So, Fort Stockton, it is time to ask the hard questions. Is Main Street really thriving, or is it just a stagnant reminder of what once was? Does the person controlling downtown truly have the town’s best interests at heart, or are they simply maintaining power for the sake of it? What would it take to bring competition back, to make our Main Street a place that welcomes entrepreneurs instead of shutting them out?

And another thing has anyone noticed that while some new businesses have appeared, they always seem to be in the same handful of buildings? Instead of seeing new storefronts open up in different parts of Main Street, we watch businesses swap in and out of the same spaces. The rest of downtown remains locked up, frozen in time, as if new businesses are only allowed to exist within specific limits. That is not growth; that is a controlled environment designed to maintain the status quo.

Fort Stockton deserves better. Our community deserves variety, vibrant competition, and diverse ownership. We deserve a Main Street that reflects all of us—not just one entity’s narrow vision. It is time to wake up, ask the tough questions, challenge the status quo, and demand a Main Street that belongs to the people. Otherwise, we may find ourselves looking back years from now, wondering why we let one person decide the fate of an entire town’s future.

(Editors note: This is just an opinion the views of Josiah Carrasco is not to cause any strife, as we support every business even if we dont agree with un-noticed control. to view their opinion on downtown midland please visit www.midlandtimes.com)