From GregEnslen.com
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Events, activities and other hometown items going on in Tipp City, Ohio, by Greg Enslen
“Hapinstance” is Coming Soon!
I mentioned a few weeks back that I was saddened to walk past the old Down a Country Lane location and see open space and bare walls inside. This week, things are really looking up! I got a sneak preview of the new shop going into the location, and I can tell you, it’s going to be pretty special.
Known as “Hapinstance Designs,” the large retail shop will offer upscale furniture and furnishings, jewelry, candles, some clothing items … along with other items that the owners want to keep a surprise until opening day! I walked through the space with the new owners—the painters were decking the walls with vibrant new colors—and Suzan, Jetta and Marilyn explained what they were planning for each area of the historic building. I also got a chance to meet the owner of the building, the famous “Hap” Johnson.
Best of all, I learned that Hapinstance will be offering design services, including helping customers visualize interiors and choose décor and furnishings that work together. The owners are working hard to prepare the space and are hoping to open sometime in March. As things get closer to opening day, I’ll have more information.
Other Downtown Updates
It seems like Tipp City’s historic downtown shopping district is always in transition, as shops and restaurants close or move locations and new places appear. This week my column’s all about some recent changes. And a reminder—if we want vibrant, successful shops and restaurants here in Tipp City, we have to support them. Here’s the lowdown:
- Work has started on a complete renovation of the old Town and Country Market building. I drove by the other day and saw that large “door” and “window” holes had been cut out in the brick of the western side of the building, which faces 2nd Street, and workers were sweeping and cleaning out the space.
The new owners plan to remodel the interior and redo the 2nd street façade, opening up the space and creating enough room for three or four new retail shops. The owners of Broadway Hair Studio will be creating space to move the Hair Studio from its current location.
Construction will reportedly take two to three months and include new windows and awnings. Improvements to this building should bring more business to DJ’s Pizza and the shops on the other side of the street—Second Street Deli & Eatery and Past Perfect Vintage Home and Garden.
- Living Simply Soap has appeared at the past three seasons of the Tippecanoe Farmers’ Market, and they’ve been interested in relocating their soap retail and production location to Tipp City for some time. Now, they’re working on renovating the old Wampler Plumbing location and, from what I’m hearing, they’re hoping to open this summer.
- Some exterior work is still going on at the old Kilpatrick Building. I still think that location would make a great pizza-by-the-slice restaurant, or a train museum.
- The great folks at Newsome Team Real Estate have just finished some exterior upgrades on their building at 121 W Main. They worked with the Downtown Tipp City Partnership’s Façade Improvement Program, a grant program that helps businesses improve their exteriors.
- There is some space available for lease next door to the Tipp Cyclery next to the train tracks. I hear it’s about 1,000 sq feet; if anyone is interested, they should inquire at the bike shop.
- Bash Foo, Mike McDermott’s social media and website company, is moving locations. They used to be upstairs at the Tower Office Products building, but they’re moving to new and larger digs in, of all places, the old Tipp Machine and Tool administrative offices! The location, which has sat empty for the past three years, offers a lot of open space, so Mike’s business has room to expand. I got a chance to walk through—who knew they had a sauna? I also heard a rumor about a mysterious tunnel, which I’ll have to investigate further.
- Speaking of the Tower Office Products building, it sounds like Matt Black is expanding his 3G Tactical retail firearms shop to fill the entire top floor of the building. Looks like he’s got his “sights” set on growing his business!
- Painting and remodeling are still going on inside the former Big Robot location, but I haven’t heard anything new about the tenants or when they might be planning to open.
- I also saw that the small antique shop in the old Studio Des Parfums location has closed.
Have you heard something different? Know something I don’t know? Use my contact information listed below and drop me a note!
Partnership Meetings
You might wonder where I hear about all these things—quite a bit of what I know about the downtown I hear during our monthly Downtown Tipp City Partnership meetings. We spend our meetings, held on the third Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. at the TMCS building, discussing what’s happening in Tipp City and, more specifically, in the downtown.
We also talk about our upcoming projects, discuss challenges facing the city and the downtown shopping district, and hear from interested parties and citizens. Please join us for our next meeting. Have ideas, input, complaints, or concerns about what’s going on in YOUR downtown? Come to our meetings and discuss it!
Check In With Me
Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk”? Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and use the “Contact Me” page to let me know what you’re thinking. And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!
