Downtown's Next Big Thing
By: Andy Schroeder
Updated: December 21, 2007
When the city of Evansville provided financial help to developers to revitalize buildings on and around the Main street, the goal was two fold: to prevent the continued deterioration of the structures, and to lure people and businesses back to the city center.
Several entrepreneurs say the program is working, including barber Kale Viehe, whos V-Bar mens salon opened about a year ago just off of main street in a renovated building. The arrival of new restaurants, a cookie shop, merchants, and now service businesses like V-Bar indicate that entrepreneurs are following the influx of residents moving in to the lofts.
Viehe says if you know where to look, you can get just about anything you need in the city center. Still, residents seem to want more. Viehe says hes heard several requests for a small grocery store within walking distance of Main Street.
The pending arrival of the Innovation Pointe small business incubator near 4th and Main also promises to bring scores more workers to the area on a daily basis, who will demand more services.
Viehe attributes the growth downtown to the unique look of the architecture and the the European feel, with most businesses within walking distance.
Just how hot is the marketplace?
"If I knew what specific store would appeal, Id open it up myself. I probably wouldnt tell you!" Viehe said.
