There'll be a merchant meeting on Tuesday morning, 8:30 a.m. at The Root.

Develop New Albany says:

"Join other local merchants monthly as we discuss what's going on in our community and share ideas and best practices. This event is free and open to all local merchants and employees."

Business owners definitely need to meet each other and discuss pertinent issues, preferably in the form of an autonomous independent business association, because otherwise business owners run the risk of being co-opted into political agendas, especially during the run-up to Sherman Minton Bridge repair work -- this being an existential issue for downtown New Albany.

Full stop.

I realize not all of you appreciate obvious truth, although consider that the wonderful thing about both Tiggers and obvious truth is that each stands on its own. Indie business owners can stand on their own, too. See you bright and early Tuesday morning.

There'll be a merchant meeting on Tuesday morning, 8:30 a.m. at The Root.

DNA says: "Do you own a New Albany business? Join other business owners for a networking time and to learn ways to get involved in our community."

Seeing as it's been a while since I attended the top-down recitation of City Hall directives, and have time to kill tomorrow morning, this sounds like a plan.

But seriously: Business owners do need to meet each other and discuss pertinent issues, preferably in the form of an autonomous independent business association, because otherwise business owners run the risk of being co-opted into political agendas, especially during an election year.

I realize not all of you appreciate my repeating an obvious truth such as this, although consider that the wonderful thing about both Tiggers and obvious truth is each stands on its own.

Indie business owners can, too. See you bright and early tomorrow.

The Root is celebrating its grand opening.

Photo credit: The Root. 

Brigid gave me a tour a few weeks back, and the interior is amazing. It's another first-rate job by Resch Construction. The Green Mouse was told earlier today that work is beginning anew on the Schmitt Furniture facade improvement following a period of dormancy, and I believe Todd Coleman is moving forward with windows, pain and awnings on the corner of Market and State.

I'm looking forward to a whole year of Pints&union and The Root, as I believe we can only help each other. Best wishes to the Morrisseys, who are wonderful people.

New Louisville-area coworking space to open this week, by Marty Finley (Louisville Business First)

The Root, an 8,000-square-foot center that converted a former grocery store in a historic building into a technology hub, has set its grand opening for 9 a.m. Friday at 110 East Main St. in downtown New Albany.

The Root is a venture of father-and-daughter duo Mark and Brigid Morrissey. Its resources include conference rooms, wireless Internet service, coffee and snacks, printer/fax/copy machines, business mailboxes and other accommodations found in an office environment.

The Root has 14 office spaces and three conference rooms in an open-floor concept. It has 23 members but expects that to quickly grow with the space available, according to a news release. The plan is to create a collaborative workspace for the area's "doers, thinkers and creatives."

"Our goal is to provide a multitude of work environments where our passionate members can be most efficient," Brigid Morrissey said in the release. "We believe that the work you do with the community inside these walls can have a major impact on the community beyond the walls" ...

The Root coworking space begins as a previously neglected half-block emerges.

The Root has opened as of today. If you're wondering what coworking is, kindly refer to the first photo, where Brigid has explained it in less than 30 words.

On one side, Todd Coleman is upgrading Classic Home Furnishings. On the other side, Pints&union enters its fifth month of operation.

That's a lot of money being invested in dramatic changes on the south side of Market, between State and Pearl.

Shouldn't any projected changes to the street and sidewalks be designed with these investments in mind, and not restricted to the north side of the street?

The Root coworking space approaches completion at 110 E. Market, next door to Pints&union.

About a month ago, Steve Resch's crew made the final big push to get the Pints&union buildout finished so Joe Phillips' team could open the pub. Since then the heavy lifting of renovation has shifted next door to do the same for The Root, which now has entered the stretch drive toward completion.

Plant the seed, watch it grow. Start digging in your roots.

The Root provides a grounded co-work space to help your business flourish by connecting unconnected people in a versatile environment. Our vision is to successfully serve, connect, and empower professionals throughout our community, allowing for innovation and discovery in a serene, creative environment.

As with the pub, the planning period began more than a year ago.

New Albany coworking space to give independent workers a place to thrive; Father, daughter team want to help new businesses grow, by Danielle Grady (Tom May Content Rights Amendment)

NEW ALBANY — Mark Morrissey didn’t know what a coworking space was a few years ago. His daughter, Brigid Morrissey, had to explain it to him.

Now, the two locals are opening one in downtown New Albany — and they’re trying to educate others on what it is and why they believe it’s such a good idea.

“I’ve learned a lot about it,” Mark said. “So I’m confident that anybody who knows nothing about it will know as much as I do eventually.”

At the Morrissey’s 110 E. Market St. coworking space, called the Root, independent workers, such as freelancers and building-less business owners, will be able to work away from home in comfort and collaborate with other members ...

I'm delighted to get to know the Morrisseys, and to me, there's a great deal of potential symmetry between The Roots and Pints&union. Very soon, we'll find out.

Previously: 

Interior views of 110 E. Market St., once Ace Loan, now being transformed by Resch Construction into The Root coworking center.

THE BEER BEAT: Have a look at this Pints&Union pub buildout progress report.

During the past decade, dozens of older buildings in downtown New Albany have been repaired and renovated. More than a few of them are hosting restaurants and bars, and since bars are my natural habitat, you can easily imagine that while the devil's always in the details, I'm overwhelmingly supportive of these upgrades.

Work currently is progressing at two adjacent buildings on Market Street. The first one is big and brick, and it will not be a food and drink establishment -- although in the beginning, it was.

This c.1859 building was constructed as one building but finished as two individual units. The first known occupant of 110 East Market Street was Nicholas Sauer, who had a coffee house and later a saloon here, and lived above. The Capital Saloon first occupied 112 East Market and was operated by Frederick Borgerding, who lived upstairs.

The Gamble heirs sold the building in July 1888 - 110 East Market went to druggist and tenant Charles Knoefel, and 112 went to tenant and grocer Frederick Knabke. In 1921, the two separate storefronts were combined when the entire first floor became Mayes Drug Company. It remained that until 1935. By 1937, the Jay C Food Store occupied the building, and was here through 1956. After a few years of vacancy, the Thrift Dollar Store moved into the site by 1959, followed by Ace Loan and Sporting Goods, which closed in 2015.

Interior views of 110 E. Market St., once Ace Loan, now being transformed by Resch Construction into The Root coworking center.

Urban layers: The ancient unknown courtyard behind The Root (where Ace Loan used to be) has been opened to access -- eventually.

The smaller structure by the alley has little in the way of noteworthy lineage, and doesn't even merit a name.

Commercial building
114 East Market Street
New Albany, IN 47150

This heavily-altered commercial building was once home to Lewis Hammond's 'Yankee Doodle' store, the interior of which is seen below in a photo from about 1917.

Later the building housed two bars, first Love's Cafe and then more recently, Good Times. It is in the process of being almost completely rebuilt from the ground up, with much of the original wood slated to be repurposed in the interior. When the work is finished, it will become Pints & Union, the forthcoming pub being sketched by Joe Phillips and yours truly.

Our shared vision takes the traditional Anglo-Irish pub as a starting point. It might be described as "progressively old school," although this phrase lamentably is being used by someone else. For a taste of what we're projecting for the "classic beer" program, here are two links.

THE BEER BEAT: Sunday sermonizing about the arduous path to pints, and union.

THE BEER BEAT meets "comfort beer." It's undervalued, but real -- for instance, like Fuller's London Pride. Did I mention undervalued?

It's still too early to go into details, so please stay tuned. Relevant mantras include stability, comfort and storytelling. Meanwhile, here are photos of the buildout, which should be finished in a couple of months. As oft times before downtown, Steve Resch and his construction company are doing the work -- and they're the best.

We've always guessed this concrete rectangle was poured to protect the corner of the building from being hit by vehicles turning into the alley.

But I see it as a plinth waiting to happen; imagine a public art contest and the eventual installation of a statue here, at the National Memorial to the Victims of Prohibition in America. Allow me to diagram the scene.

Pints & Union is real, and it's underway. A thousand hoops remain, and we'll jump them one at a time. Your support is appreciated.

Interior views of 110 E. Market St., once Ace Loan, now being transformed by Resch Construction into The Root coworking center.

Looking up from the 2nd to 3rd floors.

Yesterday I chanced upon Steve Resch as he emerged from his work-in-progress at 110 E Market Street, the former Ace Loan & Sporting Goods, now being renovated to become The Root coworking space.

He was holding a prescription booklet and vial from the 1920s, artifacts left behind by the pharmacy that once operated upstairs, as well as a discarded theater ticket from 1897.

Steve let me peep inside as the second and third floors, unused for half a century prior to reclamation, are being cleared of debris.

Urban layers: The ancient unknown courtyard behind The Root (where Ace Loan used to be) has been opened to access -- eventually.

And another Resch project to the left.

Two new stairways are being built.

Facing Market Street from the 2nd floor.

The mysterious courtyard in back.

Ground/1st floor.

1st floor looking east toward the future pub.

Urban layers: The ancient unknown courtyard behind The Root (where Ace Loan used to be) has been opened to access -- eventually.

This story ends with a view of outdoor space that  few folks in this town have seen for many decades, but it begins with this tale of coworking space.

May 19, 2017: The Root (coworking space) coming to the building where Ace Loan used to be.

The reclamation project began almost exactly two years ago.

You know, that building where Ace Loan & Sporting Goods used to be (110 E Market St).

More power to the Morrisseys, but let's not forget Steve Resch's vision.

New Albany coworking space to give independent workers a place to thrive, by Danielle Grady (News and Tribune)

The Root's owners now have their financing together, and the building at 110 E. Market is to be readied for occupancy in the spring of 2018.

For decades, Ace Loan & Sporting Goods occupied this building, but used only the first floor. Not only did Ace's owner leave the top two floors vacant; he removed the stairs and never sat foot in them.

Similarly, he didn't venture into the courtyard out back. In fact, almost no one in New Albany realizes there is a courtyard out back.

Until the past two days, it could be accessed only through the former Smith's Furniture (now Todd Coleman's Classic Home Furnishings).

All this will make better sense after we've slipped down the alley, past the future Pints&Union rehabilitation ...

 ... to where, in the distant past, two small additions were tacked onto 114 and 110 E. Market. This week, Resch Construction removed them. First, three views from Monday. The slightly truncated Pints&Union is to the right.

Then, earlier today.

I wasn't aware that in the early 1980s, a rear portion of one of the brick structures comprising the old Smith's Furniture caved in. What's left of the base can be seen in the final photo; it looks like a wall stretching from left to right across the courtyard.

The damage was sealed with the dark vertical metal sheeting. Resch plans to rebuild the north-south separating brick wall to a height of (circa) 15 feet, creating a cozy outdoor space behind The Root.

Just as importantly, this new opening from the alley allows access to the rear of 110 E. Market for Resch to finish The Root's build-out.

Consider this: in a two-and-a-half block stretch on the south side of Market Street, Dragon King's Daughter is renovating the old Wolf's Market; the Hitching Post Tavern is almost finished being rebuilt after a fire; La Tiendita recently expanded its business; The Root is coming, and shortly thereafter (cross your fingers), Pints & Union.

Indies and entrepreneurs, all. That's the most exciting part.