DOWNTOWN - The downtown rental sign business has been on a roll of late due to several high-profile condominium and apartment projects. But now businesses are chipping in to help this booming rental sign industry even further.

Last week, Tower Place Retail LLC announced that it would rather see the retail space from the former Closson's store at 4th and Race sit vacant than put to use by this year's Cincinnati Fringe Fest.

Mall management spokesperson Christi Begley said, "As a supporter of downtown, we felt that we needed to keep that "For Lease" sign on the store up. After all, a revitalized downtown means a strong rental sign industry - those signs don't make themselves."

She denied that the real reason they rejected the Fringe Festival was that they are a bunch of uptight ninnies who couldn't stand to see something different downtown. She went on to defend the mall's theory that by keeping stores vacant, and offering the same retail year after year, downtown will eventually reclaim its former glory.

In addition to the 4th and Race site, the closing of lava on Main St. is also predicted to bolster the vacant storage space in the Main St. entertainment district.