Top Achievements for Downtown Revitalization (November 08)

Q: Looking back over the last five years, what are some of HDR’s key achievements?

A: This year HDR celebrates our fifth anniversary and we are pleased with the progress toward creating a more vibrant downtown. Examples include: becoming a designated Virginia Main Street community; creating a state and national historic district; promoting more businesses and living units downtown; improving the appearance of downtown with streetscape projects and building renovation; and developing strategies to retain and strengthen existing businesses. We have also worked to add additional special events and new projects, promote downtown through public relations and media coverage, and develop a positive image of our downtown’s strengths and assets. All this progress toward downtown revitalization is due not only to HDR’s staff and volunteers, but also the hard work and support from the city, downtown businesses and property owners, other organizations and the general public.

Question for readers: What do YOU consider to be the greatest achievements for downtown in the past five years?

Speed Dating Returns to Downtown Harrisonburg

Back by popular demand, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance will be hosting Speed Dating, a fundraiser for our organization and one of the few events in town that offers singles a chance to meet and greet.

The event will be held on Saturday, November 8 at Clementine and preregistration is required. For $25, you get two drinks, appetizers and TEN dates! Who can beat it? There are two events: one at 5pm for people age 40+ and another at 7pm for people 24-39.

When you arrive on November 8, you’ll have time to get a drink and casually mingle with all the singles. You’ll then be seated in groups of 20 – 10 gents on one side of the table, 10 ladies on the other. When the official “Speed Dating” clock begins, you will have six minutes to get to know the person sitting across from you. After six minutes, the men all move down one seat and another date begins.

At the end of your dates, you get to indicate whom you would like to see again on your match card. These all get turned into the HDR staff. Did you get a match? Great! Our staff will send you the other person’s contact information and wish you a happy future.

Read more about Speed Dating in the Daily News-Record, on hburgnews or sign up now! We especially need more MEN to register, so all you ladies out there – convince your single brothers, friends, co-workers and sons to take the leap and maybe find happiness at HDR’s Speed Dating!

Halloween Happens Downtown this Weekend

Looks like we’re in for some perfect Fall weather when Halloween comes downtown this Saturday (if the thunderstorms hold off, that is). Events planned for this Saturday, October 25 include:

Grand Opening of the Turner Pavilion (7-1pm) – The long awaited Farmers’ Market Pavilion opens in the Municipal Parking Lot!

Don’t miss:

• Ribbon cutting ceremony with free cake at 9am
• Vote for the best scarecrows decorated by market vendors
• Live music from Becky & Sheila, Todd and Rick, Rough But Natural Old Time String Band and The Keezletones
• Pumpkin decorating

Halloween on the Square (10-2pm) – Fun for the whole family with trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating, hay rides, crafts, face painting, games, and more. Thanks to Hess Orthopaedics, our title sponsor!

Don’t miss:

• Trick-or-treating in downtown shops from 10-1pm
• The annual costume contest on Court Square at 1pm
• “Shrek 3″ for free at Court Square Theater at 2pm
• “The Wonderful World of Bats” photo show and t-shirt decorating at Massanutten Regional Library at 2pm

Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Contest (2pm) – Dress up Fido and bring him to Court Square for a good time! To the right is a picture of Tim Smith and his dog Punkermelon at last year’s contest. Punkermelon, a Boston Terrier, is dressed as a WWI bomber pilot.

Don’t miss:

• Over $100 in prizes sponsored by BlueKey Web Design and Digico

Haunted Harrisonburg Walking Tour (7pm and 9pm) – You’re in for a good time with this one hour walking tour, researched and led by Lisa N. Ha.

Don’t miss:

• The Bootlegger
• The Civil War soldier
• The Lady in White

For more information on these events, visit HDR’s main site at www.downtownharrisonburg.org

Union Station Restaurant Opening in Wetsel Seed Building

From the Daily News-Record

A Taste For Harrisonburg History
‘Union Station’ Restaurant Will Be In Wetsel Building
Posted 2008-10-15

By Kate Prahlad

HARRISONBURG – Part of a historical building in downtown Harrisonburg is getting made over – into a restaurant celebrating Harrisonburg’s history.

“Union Station,” as the restaurant will be called, is slated to open in summer 2009 at the former Wetsel Seed Building on the corner of West Market and Liberty streets. The eatery is taking its name for the railway stop that served as a downtown transportation hub until the 1940s, according to a press release from Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance.

David Gordon and Cassandra Baker, who are engaged, own the restaurant, with Sirena Baker and Cameron Grant, also engaged, as their partners. The four are Valley natives, Grant said.

The Bakers are sisters, and daughters of the owners of the building, Marvin and Robin Baker, who purchased it in September.

Once the couples entered the Wetsel building, “everything came together and it fit really well,” Grant said.

Grant said they have kept the details about the restaurant a secret for nearly a year now, and plans for the four of them to open a restaurant have been in the pipeline for several years.

“We met with several people to learn the history of the building, about the 1700s through now,” he said. “We’ll have information about that in the restaurant.”

‘Bygone’ Elements

The restaurant will occupy the largest portion of the building’s main floor, and owners have said they also plan to also offer retail and office units.

Built in 1935, the three-story building once housed Wetsel Garden Center but has stood vacant for two years.

The historical renovation idea was partly inspired by when the Baker sisters, Grant and Gordon were together in downtown Portland, Ore., where Cassandra Baker attended culinary school.

“We saw a lot of older buildings being renovated and putting in old-style restaurants, and some [old restaurants] were still running,” Grant said. “That concept seemed really nice to us.”

“Elements of a bygone era” will be incorporated into the renovation, design, server uniforms and even the menu itself, the HDR press release said.

As much as possible of the original inside will be saved, which includes turning a freight elevator into a seating booth and restoring the white pine floors, Grant said.

The inside will also feature historical photos, captions and stories of Harrisonburg and Shenandoah Valley history.

“The food will follow along the same lines,” Grant said, adding that the menu will change often. “We’ll keep with food from around the area, maybe from bed-and-breakfasts that may have closed down.”

Other parts of the menu will involve research from historic cookbooks and vintage magazines, as well as a monthly recipe contest for local cooks.

“We just felt that it would be something different,” Grant said. “It’s not like going anywhere else. There’s a lot of history here.”

Museum and Gallery Walk Tonight!

From the Daily News-Record Stepping Up For The Arts Posted 2008-10-02

Museum And Gallery Walk Highlights Local Talent

By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Visitors listen to a group of folk musicians on South Main Street during last year’s fall Museum and Gallery Walk. File Photos Downtown Harrisonburg will have a different vibe this Friday. At four different locations, passersby will be encouraged to stop and participate in a “Big Draw” by drawing pictures on newsprint taped to the walls. Acoustic guitar music will waft from the Smith House, where watercolors, pottery and photography from a Mount Jackson co-op gallery will be on display. People walking by Earth & Tea Cafe may hear lines of poetry being read by members of the Furious Flower Poetry Center. And that’s just the beginning. Multiple Harrisonburg establishments will open their doors to local artists Friday at 4 p.m. for the fall Museum and Gallery Walk, giving residents the chance to see downtown in a new and creative way while showcasing the area’s vast pool of artistic talent, organizers say. “The goal is definitely to bring a spotlight to the local talent here,” said Ashley McCoy, assistant director of the Arts Council of the Valley, the event’s main sponsor. “There are tons of creative people around here. It gives them a chance to shine and present their works locally.” In addition to being able to showcase their work, some local artists appreciate the event for the stimulating, creative environment it puts them in. “I like any time there’s artistic expression. It’s just great for an artist to be immersed in that,” said Grammy-nominated musician Scott Murray, who will be playing at the Smith House. “As an artist, I’m rather selfish in regard to that – I know I’m there representing an art form itself, but I like being in that environment because it’s creative.” Judy Ligon, a local artist in charge of the “Big Draw,” hopes to add to that environment by directly involving the public in the creativity. “It’s open to everybody, young and old, using crayons, markers, pens, pencils, charcoal and chalk [to] draw on newsprint,” Ligon said. “It’s like, why not do this? … It makes it a community creative opportunity.” Finding and participating in creative endeavors whenever possible is important, especially as art classes continue to be eliminated from school curriculums, said Murray. “There, to me, is more of a need to see that human endeavor – getting out there and immersing yourself in that sea of creativity,” he said. “Come out and be. Just come out and be that.” Ligon agreed that promoting creativity with local events is important. “It gives everyone in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham area a chance to come downtown and experience the arts,” she said. “It’s a great chance for community.” The fall Museum and Gallery Walk is from 4-8 p.m on Oct. 3 on and around Court Square and along Main and Market streets. The event is sponsored by the Arts Council of the Valley and Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance. It’s free, with some establishments offering free refreshments and shopping discounts. For the event’s entire schedule, call 801-8779 or go to www.valleyarts.org. Contact Kate Elizabeth Queram at 574-6272 or kqueram@dnronline.com

Downtown Happenings (10/1 – 10/5)

Happy first week of October! There is a lot going on in Harrisonburg this week and weekend so I hope your planning to enjoy some time in the ‘burg.

Wednesday, 10/1

9 pm – Eric Sommer plays at Clementine, $3

10/1-10/5, varying times – Latino Film Festival at Court Square Theater. Visit www.courtsquaretheater.com for film titles and show times.

Thursday, 10/4

7-9pm – Rock Band at Clementine – ends at 9pm for the VP debate.

9pm – Watch the Vice Presidential Debate at Clementine

Friday, 10/3

12 pm – Massanutten Regional Library kicks of the Tom Sawyer Big Read at Court Square. Live music, free copies of the book, and refreshments will be available wile supplies last.

4-8 pm – Come downtown for the Fall Museum and Gallery Walk, an evening of art openings, music, dance, and street theater hosted by downtown businesses, galleries, and museums.

7pm-2am – Music in the Blue Nile basement

9pm – Bombadil plays at Clementine, $3

Saturday, 10/4

7pm-2am – Music in the Blue Nile basement

Sunday, 10/5

3-5pm – Clementine lounge – Citizens for Equal Rights Meet & Greet w/ H’burg City Council candidates. All are welcome!

8pm – Salsa Night at Clementine. lessons are $5. Followed by DJ/dancing at 10pm.

Downtown Volunteers to Go Door-to-Door (October 2008)

Q: What can you tell me about the Business Inventory and Survey planned for downtown?

A: The first business inventory was conducted in 2005 when HDR was a new organization and downtown revitalization was in its infancy stages. From this extensive survey, we were able to take a snapshot of downtown during that time, including how many jobs existed in the central business district, how many open office and retail spaces were available, how many people were living downtown, and what gaps we had in our retail sector.

Much positive progress has been made and downtown has grown significantly in these few short years. Now, it’s time to update the data for the purpose of assessing downtown’s current status and making improvements for the future.

Within the next several weeks, a team of trained volunteers under the guidance of JMU graduate student Jeff Byers will be going door-to-door to gather basic information about downtown businesses and residential units. The cooperation and participation of everyone is appreciated and will greatly assist with future planning for the shared success of our downtown.

No individual survey responses will be shared, but the information will be compiled. These summaries will become an important tool for attracting developers, entrepreneurs and business owners to downtown Harrisonburg. By attracting new businesses and development that compliment our existing ones, we anticipate that current business owners, local residents and visitors will all benefit in the long run.