Muskegon's small-scale, pop-up "approach to create more long-term opportunities for local businesses."

Photo from Western Market Facebook page.

Another example of small, incremental projects possessing considerably less risk than big-ticket extravaganzas designed for the nurturing of campaign finance and personality cults.

Note that Muskegon's population is almost exactly the same as New Albany's.

Low-Cost Pop-up Shops Create Big Value in Muskegon, Michigan, by Rachel Quednau (Strong Towns)

Sometimes, all it takes is a little push to get a big thing rolling. That's what Muskegon, Michigan learned when they invested in low-cost, small-scale business spaces in their downtown.

Like many American cities, Muskegon (population 38,000) chose to bulldoze much of its historic downtown to build a mall in the 1970s. Then in 2001, a new mall was constructed on the outskirts of the city, which led to the closure of the downtown mall. It's a dark story of waste and decline, but one piece of good came out of that: downtown Muskegon is coming back. The farmers market is booming and local businesses are coming up in the town center.

One small but very impactful way that the city of Muskegon has helped to make this happen is by constructing low-cost "chalets" on a vacant strip of land in the downtown dubbed, Western Market, and renting them to local businesses.

Building off the success of its popular farmers market nearby, the city of Muskegon decided to use a similar small-scale approach to create more long-term opportunities for local businesses. The city hired a builder to manage the construction of 12 wooden buildings ranging from 90-150 square feet at a cost of just $5,000-6,000 per chalet. Their simple design — a portable wooden structure with windows and doors (but no running water) — kept them very affordable. In May 2017, these buildings opened for business — filled with clothes, gifts, crafts and food.

They have been a serious success, appealing to tourists and residents alike ...

Cashlessness: “Young people use cash relatively little. They use it to buy marijuana.”

I suppose Gahan and Duggins can rig up some sort of Square.

STEINBERG: A bakery that wants your dollars but not your dough, by Neil Steinberg (Chicago Sun-Times)

 ... I would feel naked without money, wouldn’t leave home without some. The fear being that I would encounter places that don’t take credit cards. When exactly the opposite is increasingly true: businesses are beginning to no longer accept hard money.

“THE GODDESS IS GOING CASHLESS ON AUGUST 1st” read signs on the revolving door of the Goddess and the Baker at LaSalle and Wacker, an upscale coffee bar and sandwich shop that on Tuesday stopped accepting dough for its products (completely legal — no laws require a business accept cash).

“We’ve had theft, and we’ve had robbery,” she said. “There’s an increase in counterfeit dollars. The time supervisors take to count money, between shifts, after shifts, getting money to the bank, paying for an armored car service. Then there are hygiene reasons. Our cashiers touching money and then touching baked goods.”

You already know the conclusion.

 ... technology wins, and expect cash to vanish along with the internal combustion engine. In a sense, this is a dream come true for me. I always resented that we as a society couldn’t get rid of the penny. Now we can, though we have to also scrap all coinage and currency while we’re at it.

Mike Moore chases his re-tail.

Jeffersonville recently held a groundbreaking for a $9M retail complex, and Mayor Mike Moore pronounced it good.

“Living in Jeff my whole life, I can tell you that if you wanna go to a store or to a restaurant or a mall for the most part in the past you always had to get in the car and drive 10 or 20 miles and go to Louisville or go someplace else. Where we stand here today is about to become the biggest economic boom for retail that the city of Jeffersonville has ever seen,” Mayor Moore said.

The renovation will cost $9 million. The mayor says that's "chump change", compared to the money it will bring back to the city.

At roughly the same time, Warren Buffett was confirming the death of retail as we know it (emphasis below is ours).

Buffett isn't just sounding off about the demise of traditional retail — he has been pulling his money out of the industry as well.

Berkshire Hathaway fired a warning signal for the retail industry in February when it sold off $900 million of Walmart stock, choosing instead to invest billions in airlines.

The sale left Buffett with nearly no shares of Walmart at a time when world's largest retailer is investing billions in the battle to catch up to Amazon.

Of course, back in 2012 when Amazon announced its Jeffersonville (River Ridge) facility, visions of cool beans danced in Moore's head.

Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore says the new facility represents a turnaround for the city.

"We are extremely excited to have Amazon join our business community," Moore said. "An addition like this shows Jeffersonville is at the forefront of a national rebound."

Perhaps some day soon, Amazon will cut out the middle man and annex Jeffersonville outright. Then Moore can be given the job of sweeping the parking lot of the abandoned retail acreage made redundant by the likes of Amazon.

Well, a boy can dream.

A hearty welcome to La Tiendita ("the little shop") on Market, at 111 W. Market, where Aladdin used to be.

I completely missed this, but you should know that La Tiendita on Market is open today. The Facebook page has more information as well as numerous photos of what appears to be a mom & pop grocery (with stock ranging from produce to toilet paper) with taqueria-style food offerings.

This is exciting! Welcome and best of luck to the owners.

Never forget that Jeff Gahan used your tax dollars to subsidize luxury at Breakwater.

An "alternative fact" of a skyline? Learn more here.

Let's hope new residents at the Break Wind Lofts at Duggins Flats aren't too disappointed when the city of Louisville turns out to be situated a bit further to the southwest than Pastime's gazebo.

Austin Carmony, the firm's vice president of development, said the complex's 66-unit residential building, where tenants have already started moving in, was completed in December. The second 125-unit building will be done in April. Rent for the units ranges from $650 to $1,650.

Let's also hope the most luxurious of the high end digs aren't gifted with a view of the lovely landscaping at AT&T, across an as yet uncalmed one-way Spring Street -- where presently, the traffic is moving faster than ever.

A relatively small space on the east side of the former Coyle showroom remains rough and unfinished, and so this evidently is what Carmony refers to in this passage.

The renovated former Coyle showroom will house retail and amenities including a heated pool, gym, grilling stations, fire pit and a dog park. Carmony said no one has signed on to fill the space yet, but he thinks a restaurant would be ideal in the location.

Another dog park? Who knew that the Coyle lot was built atop a Native American site? As an aside, I still think it was a mistake to omit bocce ball; if only Redevelopment would have kicked in another couple hundred thousand to a for-profit private developer to make it happen.

Wouldn't bocce have fit comfortably on one of those rooftops, thus better facilitating a distanced squint at Louisville?

Two months ago, a local restaurateur told the Green Mouse that the unfinished potential eatery space in the former showroom actually is priced fairly -- for being unfinished.

Flaherty and Collins apparently is offering to lease this space at the low bargain rate and provide something like $50,000 in cash for the build-out (the Green Mouse was told by the restaurateur that it wasn't enough of an enticement to interest him), but the dollars-per-square-foot price fairly skyrockets if the building's owner must finish the space.

Always be aware that as City Hall touts the many restaurants and bars downtown, as though it had anything whatever to do with their founding and operation -- and you can ask virtually any eatery owner to explain where the bulk of the start-up capital originates, this being with them, and not a magical bunkerside ATM -- the fact that the city subsidized the entirety of the Break Wind development means that the city also is subsidizing the eatery or bar that eventually comes to rest in the rough unfinished space. The city might as well be the one writing the check for $50K, right?

I'm not making this point owing to my antipathy for the current occupant, which is real, but rather because it's absolutely true. With Break Wind, the city's been picking winners with your money -- and is picking winners with your money the sort of thing you want Jeff Gahan doing?

Coyle showroom now luxury clubhouse in New Albany, by Madeleine Winer (Courier-Journal)

The clubhouse is open and the first tenants have started to move into The Breakwater, a luxury apartment complex still under construction in New Albany.

Him Gentleman's Boutique grand opening is Monday, November 14.

Him Gentleman's Boutique opens Monday, November 14 in the space formerly occupied by J.O. Endris Jewelers (314 Pearl Street).

Just a few months ago, it looked like this.

You know, the building where J.O. Endris used to be, and now the scene of another Bergman refit.

The interior has been stripped all the way back to the brick, with original tin ceilings now exposed again.

I've already heard Him Gentleman's Boutique described as Dress and Dwell for the guys. I'm told there is a holiday of some sort approaching, and gifts might be needed ...

Pacers & Racers store expansion is under way.

A while back I was asked to assemble a list of iconic independent small businesses in Floyd County, and indulged in social media crowd-sourcing to augment my preconceived notions. There was widespread agreement in this instance.

Pacers & Racers at Facebook has an announcement.

WE ARE EXPANDING! You won't have to go far (next door and all the way to the corner space!

Why are we doing this? We simply ran out of room, thanks to our 78,000 customers who have been fitted for over 155,000 pairs of shoes since 1998.

What's changing? More styles (more products, more, more widths), twice as many fitting stations, enlarged kids area, more natural lighting, less waiting time, and more parking.

What's not changing? The way we take care of you... that will never change.

These guys do it right. Visit their web site for more information.

Pacers & Racers.

3602 Northgate Ct. #19

New Albany, IN 47150

(812) 948-7865

Colokial and Dress and Dwell both will get bigger.

In April, Colokial will relocate to space on Pearl Street adjacent to Copper Moon. As the photo shows, Stephen Beardsley's doing some major remodeling, and the hope is for the move to occur in April. When it does, Dress and Dwell will expand into the former Colokial space on Spring Street. As observed yesterday, True North has opened on Market.

Next step: Two way streets and walkability to tie all of it together. When will that be, Jeffy?

Don't miss the big birthday surprise! The same sensational fashion in a brand new location. Colokial is moving right around the corner from our current location to 219 Pearl Street in celebration of our fourth year in New Albany. Stay tuned for all the latest details of our relocation!

True North has opened downtown on Market, by Quills.

Michelle is at 137 E. Market, a few yards away from Quills on the ground floor of NA's iconic Fair Store building.

True North on Fb
True North at Square

"Indiana-centric" merchandise coming to downtown, courtesy of Regalo.

Hmm, perhaps that's why Hoosier Daddy didn't sell so well in Louisville?

Construction has resumed at the corner of Pearl and Market, where Steve Resch's continues to deconstruct in order to reconstruct the building we all know as Jim's Gun Room.

Except that Jim's Gun Room wasn't the most recent business to operate there, as suggested by Insider Louisville's correspondent, below.

Let's rewind to February, 2006, right here at NAC.

Sometimes, downtown actually benefits from addition through subtraction, as is the case of the forthcoming shutdown of Von’s Place, the wretched Budweiser & karaoke den located on the southeast corner of Market and Pearl in the 146-year-old (1950’s-era exterior remodeling) Bank of Salem building.

Okay, so this is a minor quibble, but just for the hell of it, here's another:

The store will be on the corner of Pearl and Market streets, right off the Sherman Minton Bridge exit.

Italics are mine. It's actually four or five blocks, depending on how on counts. I'll spare you my rant as to how minor factual inaccuracies can add up to major skewed gists. At any rate, Kaufman's piece still quite helpfully explains the back story of the Regalo gift shop, future occupant of the building being rebuilt by Resch.

Regalo opening two more locations – South Fourth Street and New Albany, by Steve Kaufman (Insider Louisville)

... As for Indiana, he says, that will be for all those Hoosiers who somehow never go across the bridge. “I grew up there,” (owner J.D.) Dotson says. “My mother still lives there. I know hard it is to get people to cross the river.”

For them, he says, the merchandise will be more Indiana-centric. “They don’t care so much about the fleur-de-lis over there.”

Merchant Mixer this Thursday afternoon, and Second Saturday Trolley soon to debut.

This Merchant Mixer information comes to us from Curt Peters. Merchant Mixers are informal, regular meetings held at places around town, created owing to the unwillingness of cats to be herded.

The New Albany Merchant Mixer will be this Thursday, Feb. 7, from 5:15 to about 6:30 in the upstairs room above the River City Winery. If you wish, you may buy a glass of wine downstairs and bring it up to the room. If anyone wants to bring a snack item to share, that would be great. We will talk about the Second Saturday Trolley Event and whatever is on people's minds.

Wondering what the Second Saturday Trolley is about? I received the following a few days ago. It seems aimed (correctly, in my view) at retail shop owners and not the food and drink segment. I know only what is written here. I've edited it slightly.

SECOND SATURDAYS SHOP & HOP

Connecting Down, Mid & Uptown New Albany

Starting February 9, 2013 ... 1 - 4 p.m.

There will be a trolley running from downtown to uptown; the trolley route will be determined as soon as we get a tally of participating merchants.

Theme: Valentine’s Day

This is an invitation to all merchants that would like to be involved with this monthly event

Purpose:
• To increase traffic in our businesses
• To offer a family friendly event; but not to exclude persons without children
• To increase awareness of what New Albany has to offer
• To build long lasting customers with a mind set of supporting local businesses

If you have any suggestions or questions contact one of us below.

For Downtown Merchants: Shanda Sillings-Roderick at The Opal Gypsy 812-725-9744

Mid and Uptown Merchants: Stefanie Griffith at Strandz & Threaz 812-945-5480

"Let's not build a stadium."

Where does the proposed River View development fit into a vision like this one?

In a way, thinking small is the next logical step in America’s urban renaissance. 

As we seek to situate the comparative "bigness" of River View within the burgeoning small + indie New Albanian context, it's worth recalling a post earlier this week, in which I opened with this thought: Mike Kopp's updates on Twitter are much appreciated."

Indeed, they are, and I was not being snarky or ironic in stating such. But with respect to River View, consider that Mike's three most recent announcements about prospective business openings all describe the adaptive reuse of pre-existing, older buildings not at all associated with River View, for whom he's been doing a fair amount of retail chain fishing in places like Las Vegas.

Remember that condominiums, once River View's sole conceptual selling point (downtown residency being the object, right?), have long since been taken off the project's front burner and placed somewhere out in the yard, near the compost heap, and about as far away from the stove as humanly possible. Now there must be retail and professional occupancy in order to reach the transitional stage of rental apartments -- all of it occurring well before condos are even contemplated.

None of it seems to have mattered to the city's bedazzled politicos, who stare entranced at the glimmering artist's renditions of River View like a 12-year-old in 1972 unearthing his Penthouse from under the mattress.

The point here is this: Given the paucity of PR emanating from the realtor (not a common phenomenon), either the River View retail fishing's been pretty bad, or the catch too embarrassingly undersized to display publicly. Isn't it about time for someone to be standing on the dock, photographed with the big one?

Just curious, that's all.

Stop thinking big

Forget stadiums: Let's build a pop-up park. Smart cities know the future is cooler, cheaper -- and smaller

BY WILL DOIG
Last week, a press release from Chicago’s Office of the Mayor proclaimed something that would have sounded like a Yes Men prank just a few years ago: Rahm Emanuel, it said, has a plan to get rid of the city’s “excess asphalt.”

It wasn’t a proposal for a big new park or recreational facility, but a plan to take little bits of public space here and there — streets, parking spots, alleyways — and turn them into places for people. It was the latest example of a municipal government taking an active role in tactical urbanism, that low-cost, low-commitment, incremental approach to city building — the “let’s not build a stadium” strategy.

One reason why the choice of River View retail tenants matters.

As noted yesterday ...

Are they protesting loudly?

Previously: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ... and Hauss Square.

River View an example of why "urban redevelopment projects should put local businesses first."

In River View Version 2.0, the project's retail component now must be the first to succeed, before construction of any condominiums, which were the originally stated aim of the development. Retail build-out also must preface rental housing units, which were not in the previous plan. Of course, for any of these phases to begin, the city's required commitment, a TIF-enabled parking garage, must be completed.

Insofar as the anchor retail tenant is concerned, will realtor Mike Kopp be seeking local, or chain? Let's hope both Kopp and Mainland consider this link, because if their for-profit entity must utilize TIF money to even begin, doesn't the comminity have a very real stake in the type of retail being pursued?

Urban Redevelopment Projects Should Put Local Businesses First

Make Local Business the Anchor Tenant at Canal Side (Opinion), by Sarah Bishop of Buffalo First

We don't need $35 million in public money used to lure another big box store to Canal Side. However, we could always use a boost to our local economy, and great publicity for our local businesses and city. "Buffalo needs to start investing in itself. Putting anchor tenants at Canal Side that are Buffalo community members themselves helps the local economy," said Maria Fox, one of the nearly 100 signatories to date in support of local business as the "anchor" at Canal Side.

Second Colokial international boutique to open in downtown New Albany.

(Press release provided by Mike Kopp)



COLOKIAL, Expressions of the World Announces the Grand Opening of New Albany, IN Store.

Colokial second store offers unique gifts with an International Flavor

NEW ALBANY- Indiana based International Boutique Store, Colokial, today announced they will open a second store. The new store will be located at 138 E. Spring St, Suite 2 in the “New Downtown” New Albany. Colokial brings more diversity to Downtown New Albany and additional retail shopping.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Friday Apr 15th, 2011; followed by the official store opening. Colokial will hold a Grand Opening and welcome reception with hor’derves, desserts and wine tasting from a local Winery. Owners, Sandra Abreu and Scott Ginkins will also have a raffle of one of their signature items providing local residents with a taste of what will be available to them.

"The opening of the new store symbolizes Colokial’s commitment to expanding its presence in the area and support the new developments in southern Indiana," said Scott Ginkins, store owner. "We look forward to providing residents in New Albany and the surrounding areas with a convenient, diverse and unique place to shop for all of their personal needs, just in time for a new season in the “New” New Albany."

“Our Expressions of the World are products that provide viable economic alternatives to artisans and their families in developing countries while promoting social and environmental responsibility”, said Sandra Abreu, store owner. This approach and style is one that we believe Floyd County residents will appreciate.

To learn more about Colokial, please visit the store’s website www.colokial.com or become a fan in Facebook.

About Colokial: Expressions of the World, Colokial, is a store for the style conscious consumer that appreciates diversity. Providing unique, eclectic and affordable international handmade jewelry, home accents and gifts, we intend to enhance customer’s lifestyle, make their lives more comfortable and provide unique and uncommon product selections beyond the mass market retailers.