RSSIn the city, old can be new
Boomers, a downtown restaurant and nightclub, is getting renovated in anticipation of a late summer opening. The owner was able to recycle about 60 percent of the old wood he tore out, including the ponderosa pine and douglas fir he used to build the bars. He also recycled mahagony for trim.
There has been renewed interest in downtown with the completion of the Main Street Uplift project. Some units that have been empty are being improved in anticipation of new tenants.
Construction has finally begun at Peppermill Lofts, an infill development near North Avenue and 28 1/4 Road. Constructors West is building 4 apartment building, with 12 units per building.
This home, at 2870 Orchard Ave., has three bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms in about 1,100 square feet. Julie Somerville with Joe Hicks Real Estate is listing the property for $130,000.
The Bunting Avenue residence hall is the newest dormitory on the Mesa State College campus and will be open this fall for incoming students.
The Public Safety Building is currently under construction in the 500 block between Ute and Pitkin. The Grand Junction Police Department will move into the new building when it’s complete sometime in the early second quarter of 2012. The newer portions of the old police building will be renovated for use by the fire department administration.
A new look on a downtown street, a new name and status for the college, renewed energy and a little creative financing are all combining to make the city attractive for business and for residents.
“Downtown looks wonderful,” said Jackie Laumann, one of the partners at Culinary Corner, which recently moved from Mesa Mall to 455 Main St. in downtown Grand Junction. “The feeling down there is wonderful.”
In addition to a high visibility location on Main Street, the store’s new location is larger than its previous space and has indoor storage. The parking lot directly behind the store is an added bonus.
“Other merchants have been so welcoming,” Laumann said. “Everyone here is just thrilled.”
The new face of Main Street is attracting attention from old and new tenants. Alida’s Fruita recently moved into a larger space at 419 Main St. A basket merchant is moving into the 500 block and Boomers is getting ready to reopen at 436 Main St.
Boomers owner Chet Allen has been bringing the building up to current codes and standards. In the process, he’s creating a venue that will be an attractive venue for live music.
The renovations include second-story seating, three new bar areas, a new stage and new bathrooms. Seating capacity will be around 400 people. In its previous incarnation, Boomers could seat fewer than 300. Allen is hoping the larger capacity will enable him to book both local and out-of-town musical acts.
Activity is also stirring south of downtown, near Riverside Parkway. Rosco’s Inc., the partnership that owns Kannah Creek Brewing Company, is finalizing plans and working out the financing to start construction of Edgewater Brewing Company near Ninth Street and Struthers Avenue.
“We’ve had so many requests from people who want to buy our beer,” said Bernadette Jeffryes, one of the partners with Kannah Creek Brewing Company. “We have more demand than what we can supply.”
The partners have owned the land for more than a decade. Originally, they wanted to build a large restaurant and brewpub, but construction of the Riverside Parkway and the shaky economy both made them reconsider.
“This last winter, we realized that a production brewery made more sense than a brewpub,” said Jeffryes.
The partners are planning a small restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. They’ll also have bottling capabilities and a distribution facility and plan on bottling their Lands End Amber Ale and Standing Wave Pale Ale, both of which have won gold medals in international brewing competitions.
Construction of Peppermill Lofts, a 48-unit apartment complex off North Avenue at 28 1/4 Road, recently began after a delay due to the complexity of securing financing.
“From the market study we did prior to the construction Corner Square at First and Patterson, we knew there was a need for rental property,” said Vince Testa, president of Constructors West, the building contractor for the Peppermill Loft project.
The one- and two-bedroom apartments will be in four buildings, which will be built on a staggered construction schedule, with all four buildings under construction at once, but in different stages. The first units may be complete as early as May, and the last building finished by July 2012, in time for prospective college students.
Mesa State College is also making room for more college students. The newest residence hall on Bunting Avenue will be finished for this school year, providing 328 beds. Construction of another residence hall at 12th Street and Orchard Avenue, near Community Hospital, will start as soon as the college closes on the property.
The college will host a grand opening for Houston Hall on Aug. 9, from 5-7 p.m. The building, which has been a campus landmark since 1940, has been renovated and retrofitted, and has also received a 15,000 square foot addition.
“Houston Hall is symbolic of the institution as a whole,” said Dana Nunn, director of media relations.
The date for the open house was a deliberate choice, coming the day before the official name change from Mesa State College to Colorado Mesa University.
“We wanted to honor the past and move toward the future,” Nunn said.
The public is welcome to tour the building during the grand opening/open house celebration.
The college and the hospitals help keep the city location a hot area for investment buyers.
“A more centrally located house in town is a better bet than something that’s farther out,” said Julie Somerville with Joe Hicks Real Estate. “There’s more of a demand for a central location.”
According to Somerville, there is still a huge amount of inventory in the city housing area, but foreclosures are moving fast, which will help stabilize prices. The good news is that it’s possible for buyers to find homes around $100,000. They may need some work, but they’re out there, especially in the city.
The city remains a vibrant part of Grand Junction, and all the partners who have a stake in its future are committed to maintaining its vitality.
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