RACINE — Downtown’s XXX era ended with Thursday’s closing of its final adult book and video store.

The somewhat misleadingly named Racine News, 316 Main St., had its last day of business Wednesday.

There was no apparent warning or clearance sale. On Thursday morning a crew of workers arrived, quickly carried out all merchandise and racks, and trucked the materials away.

The move was met with mixed feelings from Downtown merchants.

“Best news I’ve had in a long time,” said JoAnn Lebre, co-owner of Dover Flag & Map, 323 Main St. “We’re getting rid of a pimple on the block.”

But there was another side to Racine News, Lebre said. “They have always been good neighbors,” she said. “Years ago, there were people who were causing problems Downtown. I would have had no hesitation about calling them. I know they would have come to my aid.

“They were mostly inconspicuous, mostly discreet.”

John Alia, owner of the next-door restaurant Salute at 314 Main St., voiced similar thoughts.

“They really were not a bad neighbor,” he said. It appeared to be simply a place to go for newsstand material. It was not uncommon for a visitor to Racine to wander in looking for a newspaper, and come face to face with adult material.

Although the adult bookstore didn’t appear offensive from the outside, Alia said he welcomed its exit nevertheless: “It is good news. I’m glad they took it out of Downtown. … I’m very happy.”

A member of the crew that carted the merchandise away Thursday said the store was closing — not moving elsewhere. He said the company that owned the shop was called “ll94” and provided a phone number.

A receptionist answered the phone by saying, “Capital News Agency,” but no one at that number would take a phone call for comment.

With the closure, Downtown has dropped from two adult bookstores at one time to none. According to past city directories, both Racine News and the former City News of Racine, 406 Main St., opened in about 1976. The latter has been gone for years, but Racine News lasted three decades.

“Certainly the neighbors have not thought it was a business that was conducive to the revitalization of Downtown,” said Downtown Racine Corp. Executive Director Devin Sutherland.

But he said whenever DRC asked Racine News to tone down its window displays, “they have made changes. They never caused any problems, and they were pretty good about keeping their building up and sweeping their sidewalk.”

Sutherland added: “I think the time for that type of business in Downtown is long gone.”