Today I’m mostly going to give you some photographs of business developments I noticed before the end of the year. Next week I hope to use a couple of days to review 2012 in downtown business and look at what opened (as I did here last year for 2011) and what closed (as I did here for 2011) as well as which businesses made a major change (as I did here for 2011).
I’ll likely write in more detail about some of the businesses in today’s post when they open or as I get a chance. One of the places I’ll need to slip into without the company of Urban Woman (it’s pricey) is the new “Patricia Nash” store on the 100 Block of Gay Street. They feature Italian leather purses and other goods designed by Patricia Nash who co-owns Crowne and Goose just down the hill with her husband Jeffrey Nash. They’ve not been open when I’ve walked by, but the purses, etc. in the window appear to be of fine quality. I’ll try to get in there and give more detail sometime down the road.
Also noted on the 100 Block, a place called “Knox Mason” is set to open soon. The posted notice says they will sell beer on the premises and they will not, under any circumstances dance! You have to love our state liquor laws. It turns out, this is a pretty exciting coming attraction. It is owned by chef Matt Gallaher who was once a sous chef at Blackberry Farm and cooked internationally for rock stars. It purports to be where “southern tradition meets modern aesthetics.” I’m in for a try.
Additionally, on the same block, a place called “Style of Civilization” is promising to begin operation. I’m guessing it will be a clothing store, but precisely what kind, I’m not sure. The sign exhorts readers to “clean out your closet.” I’m not sure if that means they will take used clothing or if they simply mean you need to clean out your closet to make way for the groovy clothes you’ll buy in their store. Maybe they are concerned that our closets are too full.
While one empty storefront will soon be filled by Knox Mason, another small one waits to be filled by some enterprising citizen. Each represents a hole in the 100 block where businesses that were loved by some people, but not enough people to survive, closed their doors last year. 11 Cafe didn’t last a year and Harry’s didn’t fare much better. I still think we may hear from these folks in some other form on down the line.
On Central, in the heart of the Old City I noticed a place called the Junkyard plans an opening soon and I noticed that the entertainment venue that can’t choose a name has settled, for the moment, on Union Place. A final note in that section of town, Josh Flory recently reported that David Dewhirst purchased the building that housed the Industrial Belt and Supply Company on Depot, just around the corner from the White Lily Building he is developing. He says he intends to develop the building which backs up to Tennessee Valley Bikes and the Public House on Magnolia Avenue.
