Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
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Kaleigh Stobbe, Bridget Shaw and Miranda Stobbe stand in the new Abby Rose store located on the 900-Block of Rosser Avenue in downtown Brandon. Beside Abby Rose, The Wildflower Café will open on Wednesday, featuring homemade food and speciality drinks. Both stores received funding from Renaissance Brandon to get started.
Brandon’s downtown core is getting a shot in the arm, courtesy of a local entrepreneur.
Bridget Shaw, who owns and operates Lady of the Lake, is opening two new stores on the 900-Block of Rosser Avenue.
"We’re really exciting and I’ve always been a downtown fan," Shaw said. "I lived downtown and I have fond memories of downtown."
Abby Rose, which is open already and located at 912 Rosser Ave., will be operated by Shaw’s daughter Miranda Stobbe. The store is a throwback to the early days of the original Lady of the Lake, specializing in gifts, art, clothing and knick-knacks new and old.
"It’s a little bit more eclectic and back to the vintage," Shaw said. "Odds and ends of fun stuff."
The Wildflower Café, which will open Wednesday and is located directly to the east of Abby Rose, will offer homemade food, specialty coffees and juices and will be operated by Shaw’s daughter, Kaleigh Stobbe.
Shaw said it was the strength of her staff at Lady of Lake that allowed her to expand into the downtown area.
She also credits Renaissance Brandon as a big reason for the new shops.
"With the help from Renaissance Brandon we were able to step up our process and we are probably here a full year a head of where we could have been on our own," Shaw said.
For Renaissance Brandon, partnering with a proven commodity was an easy decision.
"The exciting part of the two stores opening is it only leaves one building that is still vacant (and when it is full) we will have a full streetscape on both sides which is an exciting opportunity for downtown," Renaissance Brandon chairman Shaun Cameron said.
Through the partnership, Renaissance Brandon will provide one month’s worth of rent for each year of a five-year agreement. Additionally the owner of the building will match the terms, essentially meaning the shops will receive 10 months of free rent over a five-year term to lessen startup costs and ensure the businesses are successful.
Renaissance Brandon also provided funding for upgrades and renovations through the group’s redevelopment program. While traditionally the redevelopment program is reserved for groups that are purchasing buildings downtown, downtown development specialist Braden Pilling said the opportunity to partner with a successful business with a proven track record made the situation unique.
"These businesses, as part of our focus of getting the entertainment and shopping going, were a priority and that is why we used both programs," Pilling said.
In total, the two shops will benefit from about $32,000 in Renaissance Brandon incentives.
Through the process Renaissance Brandon also saw an opportunity to restore the core even further, working with the owner to remove sheet metal from the exterior of the new Abby Rose and exposing the underlying windows.
The project cost an additional $4,000, but will help restore the character of the original building, according to Pilling.
» ctweed@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition September 18, 2012
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Brandon’s downtown core is getting a shot in the arm, courtesy of a local entrepreneur.
Bridget Shaw, who owns and operates Lady of the Lake, is opening two new stores on the 900-Block of Rosser Avenue.
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Brandon’s downtown core is getting a shot in the arm, courtesy of a local entrepreneur.
Bridget Shaw, who owns and operates Lady of the Lake, is opening two new stores on the 900-Block of Rosser Avenue.
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