VALPARAISO — Along with more restaurants, Central Park Plaza and the coming Central Park skating rink, change in downtown has included old-guard businesses moving out.
In September 2013, Artists’ Den gallery closed after 41 years as its owners retired; in November 2013 Martin Binder Jewelers moved to a bigger store on U.S. 30.
In June, Valparaiso Hobby closed after 37 years when its owners retired. One of the original fine dining restaurants, Bistro 157, closed over the summer. And now David’s Men’s Clothiers, the last of four men’s clothing stores, will close after 27 years as its owner retires.
It’s said tongue-in-cheek that downtown Valparaiso is lawyers and the places lawyers eat lunch.
However, Valparaiso Economic Development Director Patrick Lyp is not concerned.
“At this point, I don’t see a trend,” Lyp said.
Most closings were successful business people retiring, he said. Martin Binder moved because of success and Bistro 157’s owners said they planned to move elsewhere because of the cost of rent.
Lyp noted downtown still has longtime businesses: Piper Boutiques children’s clothes and Seasons on the Square women’s clothing remain, as do La Maison and Lifestyles homeware stores and Jano Bicycles.
“Newcomer” Asana Yoga Center reached the decade mark, while the former Buck Stop building at 109 Lincolnway is being renovated by attorney Andrew Lucas for retail or restaurants and law offices on the top floors.
You see few “for lease” signs downtown, Lyp said.
The city’s administration pursued four ideas to keep downtown vibrant.
Central Park brings people for events, downtown-specific liquor licenses bring fine restaurants, a fire safety grant helps downtown building owners update alarms and add sprinkler systems, and the city is pursuing more downtown residences.
Lyp also said the city should announce plans for parking before year’s end.
The fire grants came because of the Thormahlen Building burning down in March 2013, and City Administrator Bill Oeding said when introducing the grant program to the City Council that it’s intended to keep fires from passing between the old buildings.
The Thormahlen Building is also being rebuilt at Lincolnway and Michigan Avenue to have apartments on the second and third floors, and the city is marketing two lots — including the parking lot the Chicago Street Theatre uses — into condominium sites.
More people living downtown would bring a need for businesses.
The downtown park brought in candy store Sticky Fingers, Ben’s Pretzels, and Kernels and Kones because of market forces, and no bureaucrat could have predicted those types of businesses, he said.
“If there was a particular need that was identified, the city would do what it could to attract it,” Lyp said.
It pursued the idea of a downtown music venue when Matt Murphy was the city’s economic development director based on a study by consultants HyettPalma that said to add it to the fine-dining effort.
Murphy, now on the Board of Works, marketed the empty police station at 16 Indiana Ave. as a performance venue.
“Our entertainment idea transformed into Central Park,” Murphy said.
That allowed the Porter County Museum to buy the police building as a secondary museum space and possible theater.
“This’ll be a great addition to downtown,” Murphy said.