Co-op holistic healing and education center - no question.

Lots of great ideas, but to me it's definitely Trader Joe's. In fact I was just talking about it with friends this past weekend.

Trader Joe's would work where the old 'Linens and Things' was on West Main Rd. NO MORE NEW CONSTRUCTION until we can fill existing empty store fronts.

I would love to see a Leaps & Bones - but a Trader Joe's would be great.

A Family restaurant along the lines of the Commons or Gregg's.

how about a non crooked city hall that is governed by honest people

Anything but stores like diva, wild orchid and junkie t-shirt shops. They should be shut down just like newport grand. Then maybe we will get higher quality tourists who actually spend money and we won't have to sell out to state aid via section 8 and seedy store owners....mmmm, that could also reduce crime.....and so on.

Newport needs a green grocer like Wholefoods or Dave's Marketplace. Why has the space at the CVS shopping plaza on Bellevue (that housed other grocery stores i the past ) been vacant for so long? Is it being leased purposely to keep it empty thus avoiding competition? If so that is just wrong. Another grocery store in that space could easily generate 100 plus jobs and provide a much needed service to Newport.

I agree with Kathy, although not in Newport, Trader Joe's would be a GREAT fit in the old linens and things!!

there is a whole foods type place 2-3 shops down in that plaza

Chipotle = El Perrito
Trader Joes/Whole Foods = AMarket
Bowling, yes. We do need bowling; maybe a fish&chips + bowling alley?

One thing we DO NOT need is another Dunkin Donuts.

AMarket is NOT trader Joes. Or even Whole Foods. It is small, limited selection, and egregiously priced (even compared to Whole Paycheck.) Trader Joes is actually known for very reasonable prices. If anything it would hurt AMarket's business.

We need a food market to give Stop&Shop and Shaw's some much needed competition.

Keep in mind people that NONE of those ideas will work if the island's population continues to dwindle, property taxes and local finances continue their unabated path of irresponsiblity, lousy school environment continues to deteriorate and demographics continue to skew in opposite directions (wealthy households getting older, poor ones getting younger- that's rich getting richer for the Democratic party cheerleaders).

Exactly what kinds of successful business plans find that desireable? Trader Joe's requires 25K+ households above median within 30 minutes; Wholefoods requirements are higher. Target was rejected by the least progressive community on the island. Home Depot considers the Middletown store to be an underperformer and will get downsized or go the way of Best Buy next time the boys in Atlanta need to make cuts. And then there's this years 800 pound gorilla: the sequestration budget cuts and how they'll impact the navy and, in turn, the island.
The best small business to open on the island is the one you don't open...until there is complete turnover in local and state leadership- replaced by slates that are growth oriented rather than status quo defenders (Middletown, Newport) or ideological (Portsmouth) or both (state democratic caucuses).

And putting a toll on the Sakonnet Bridge is not going to help promote new business for the Island. We need everyone to support the No Tolls group and attend the meeting at Portsmouth High on Dec. 3 at 7PM or Tiverton High on Dec. 4 at 7PM to meet with DOT. A strong body of support will go a long way.

Homegoods would be great in the old Linen and Things/Halloween store store front.

Hands Down......Trader Joe's