It's one of the greatest weeks in New Albany's twisted, scattershot history.

Yes, and I do mean greatest. Nine dreary and ever-decaying years later, at long last the Preston Arts facade is GONE.

I'm giddy.

From late last year, when Diana Hylton said all that needed to be said:

"There’s going to be signage for an actual business that’s going to be there, it’s not just going to be something that was once there that hasn’t been. It’s going to be current and fresh and exciting. We’re just excited — that’s all I can say."

Power move: Him Gentleman's Boutique and Mane Alley Color & Extension Bar to transform the moribund Preston Arts Building.

Hearty congratulations to the new occupants for their stellar restoration work. And now, all together, let's turn to the band Sparks for inspiration.

Giddy giddy giddy
Our entire city
Each and every person the
Epitome of giddiness

We're giddy giddy giddy
Our entire city
Everyone displaying an
Immense amount of giddiness

Time erases: Signs, signs, everywhere signs; some coming, some going.

Quite a few of us always will love Chef Israel Landin and his food, and we enjoyed his ill-fated previous restaurant, La Rosita's (now he's rocking here), but isn't it pleasant at long last to see the old sign gone, the building being painted and a business (RecBar 812) coming close to occupying it?

Next up: That annoyingly permanent Preston's signage, always a decaying reminder of the store's demise eight years ago.

Power move: Him Gentleman's Boutique and Mane Alley Color & Extension Bar to transform the moribund Preston Arts Building.

Of course adjacent to the future Him is the currently moribund River City Winery, surely downtown's favorite topic of eatery speculation, and perhaps with new signs of hope ... like this one, although the bank comes off a tad badly.

Last, and appropriately, this one. It may have been my own former business, and it seems a shame to cover the artwork with fresh paint, but it has to happen eventually -- and no, I don't have any updates about the future occupant.

The Green Mouse keeps listening, you know.

Power move: Him Gentleman's Boutique and Mane Alley Color & Extension Bar to transform the moribund Preston Arts Building.

"There’s going to be signage for an actual business that’s going to be there, it’s not just going to be something that was once there that hasn’t been. It’s going to be current and fresh and exciting. We’re just excited — that’s all I can say."
-- Diana Hylton

Boy, does she nail this sentiment. Sorry, but that Preston storefront has been a notable eyesore for the past eight years, ever since the business moved.

Great story here, with Him Gentleman's Boutique and Mane Alley Color & Extension Bar purchasing and revamping a moribund building. Downtowners have known about this for a while, and it is good news indeed. Construction at RecBar across the street is underway, meaning that quite soon TWO redundant structures will have been put back to use.

Gary, is it time yet for an update on the River City Winery?

New Albany businesses moving into Preston Arts Center building, by Brooke McAfee (Tom May Proselytizer)

NEW ALBANY — For eight years, the former Preston Arts Center building in downtown New Albany has stood vacant. But with the growth of two local businesses, the space will be given new life.

The owners of Him Gentleman's Boutique and Mane Alley Color & Extension Bar in New Albany have bought the empty building at 315 Pearl St., located just across the street from their current locations on Pearl Street. Construction is expected to last three to four months, and couple Ross Wallace and Diana Hylton plan to move their two businesses into the building by early 2020.

Hylton said since Him opened, they have seen the empty storefront of Preston Arts Center each day, and they would think about how they wanted the space to come back to life ...

Devil's Rock night club is opening on Main Street.

Did you know that Preston Arts Center is still a location in which one can "Shop Downtown New Albany", even though its Indiana branch's doors have been closed for three years?

Ditto for the Vintage Fire Museum, no longer located in New Albany, but in Jeffersonville.

It says so right there on Develop New Albany's web site. I suppose these entities are grandfathered into their present categories owing to previous incarnations and membership pay schedules.

Unusually, the same web site still lists Cafe 27, the Main Street bistro that closed a couple months ago. The successor to Cafe 27, Devil's Rock Night Club and Concert Venue, is nowhere to be found on the site, even if DNA itself still touts real estate listings in Outer Timbuktu.

The newspaper gets to the very bottom of it here. Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

My two-way dream: Not AgitProp, but PrestonProp.

It's the perfect place to educate, seeing as ...

... those in most desperate need of learning are so very close.

Here's the one v. two way comparison chart again.

The New Albany location of Preston Arts Center is closing soon.

We had several tips, but I decided to wait and see. There's nothing at the web site yet, but probably will be.

Link to the city-wide downtown events map for today.

Preston Arts Center has the map: http://www.prestonartscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/ArtWalkMap.jpg.

Develop New Albany's "First Tuesday" networking event at Preston Art Center, April 6.

NA Event Watch: Downtown Merchants' Mixer at Preston Arts Center on Friday, September 25.

If you are a downtown merchant, consider stopping by the merchants' mixer described here by Curt and Pam Peters.

And, if you do, follow the mixer with a stroll to the riverfront for the Bubbles and Bluegrass installment (with NABC Elector accompaniment) in the ongoing Friday evening concert series.

MERCHANTS’ MIXER FOR DOWNTOWN NEW ALBANY MERCHANTS

THERE WILL BE A MERCHANT MIXER on Friday evening, Sept. 25, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Preston Arts Center, located at 315 Pearl Street. Bring a food or beverage item to share. A representative of Harvest Homecoming will be there to talk about improvements they are making and to hear comments from us. We will also have a brainstorming session to bring up ideas for the further improvement of downtown New Albany.

PLEASE PASS THE WORD ON THIS SO THAT ALL MERCHANTS KNOW AND PLEASE COME.