More business news continues to pop up here and there. Today’s news isn’t overwhelmingly positive. Business is a complicated matter and a wide range of variables can force a project to change directions entirely. We have a couple of instances of changing directions today, along with one that is steadily moving forward.
Let’s start with the one that isn’t coming, after all. I first wrote about Bullman’s Kickboxing and Krav Maga last January. I met with owner Terry Bullman to talk about the move into the Kress Building and everything seemed a go, but it wasn’t to be. I spoke to him last week to check on the status of the gym and he told me that he’d decided to focus for now on expanding the gym at his Western Plaza location.
He doesn’t feel the final chapter has been written on his downtown interests, however. He indicated he still plans to have a downtown gym in the next “twelve to twenty-four months.” It will not, however, be in the former Kress Building, as he has let his option go on that property.
Knox Whiskey Works, meanwhile is steadily moving toward an opening date. Stanton Webster, the partner in the project who gave me the story last November, told me last week, “Build out continues as well as our work on getting all state and federal permitting including licensing, formulas, labels and brand registrations.” He indicated more news will be forthcoming soon, so hopefully that will bring with it a projected opening date. Stay tuned. In the meantime, you might want to go their website and check out their new blog.
Finally, another business is leaving downtown. Last February I wrote about the opening of Boxwood Brake in the space immediately beside Knox Whiskey Works at the West Jackson Workshops. The cool little store which offered a bit of everything and was the project of Darbi Henley. It was a spot where you might pick up a little furniture, clothing, re-purposed bits of everything, jewelry and even attend an art class. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to remain in the space.
They announced as much at the beginning of June on their Facebook Page: “We will be closing our brick and mortar shop at the end of June. We’ve only been open there for a short time, but we are excited to transition to our true passion of a more nomadic shop style! . . . We will be setting up at tons of events in town and hopefully even the farmer’s market next season! So, make sure to keep following our feed and stay updated on where you can find us and help us to spread the word! And remember, now that we are gypsies, we would love any suggestions for events and venues hosting vendors like us!”
You can still take a look at some of the great products offered by Darbi at their Etsy shop. The space being vacated is a very good one, as Darbi went on to say in the above post. I hope to have more in the next few days regarding the new tenant.