Renovations for Edward Jones prove popular in Baldwin City; Eudora to review its downtown grant program

Those behind the extensive renovations of the storefront at the northwest corner of High and Eighth streets in downtown Baldwin City are finding rehabilitating has benefits for marketing and community goodwill.

Stacy Carrington is the longtime owner of the building at 723 Eighth St. She owned and ran the dance studio there before selling it to Courtney and Brian Williams, who eventually relocated the studio to a new home at 711 High St., about a half-block to the east.

The ground floor of Carrington’s building was empty after that move, but she said she was determined it would not remain a black hole on Baldwin City’s prime downtown intersection. With that in mind, she went shopping for a bank loan to make renovations needed to attract a tenant. It turned out to be very fortuitous timing as Peter Carr was looking for a Baldwin City location for his Edward Jones office.

Together, Carrington and Carr undertook extensive renovations to the interior and exterior of the building. As passersby have likely noticed, the south exterior wall got a coating of black paint, and the Eighth Street-facing facade was redone. Gone from the facade is the shingled awning that covered a high row of windows, which Carrington said she didn’t know existed. Those now provide more sunlight to the storefront’s entry lobby and Carrington’s desk.

Yes, Carrington has a desk in the lobby of the offices she leases to Carr. The partnership the landlord and tenant forged in renovating the building continues through a business arrangement that has Carrington working as executive assistant for Carr’s financial investment franchise. The renovations delayed Carr’s hoped-for January opening about six months, but everyone seems pleased with the labor-intensive results. The lobby’s brick outer walls and preserved wood floors complement the use of metal ceiling tiles used as an interior wall.

The renovations have proven a nice marketing tool as people stop in to share with Carr and Carrington their impressions of the century-old storefront older community residents knew as a pharmacy.

“They are so excited about with what we’ve done inside and the facade upgrade,” Carrington said. “They like the mix of old and new. I’ve had members of the community stop in to see the building I would not have seen otherwise.”

The interior renovations didn’t extend to the rear of the building. Carrington said she was storing items in the space, but storage would not be its end use.

“I’m going to utilize it, I just don’t how,” she said. “I can’t have empty space and not utilize it.”

The city of Eudora recognizes the worth of investment in its historic downtown buildings with a grant program that makes money available to upgrade buildings in downtown. For six years, grants have been available to businesses located along a Main Street corridor from Seventh to 10th streets, and a 10th Street corridor from a half-block east of Walnut Street east to a half-block east of Ash Street.

Earlier this month, the Eudora City Commission approved Mary Kirkendoll’s request for a $5,000 grant to remodel the storefront at 706 Main St. With the upgrades, the building will continue to serve as the home of the Eudora Chamber of Commerce, but will also become the site of her Eudora Yoga Center. Kirkendoll’s grant was 1 of 15, totaling $44,950, funded through the program since it was introduced.

On Monday, the Eudora City Commission will have a work session on what is called a “reboot” of the grant program. Commissioners will discuss a proposal that would increase the amount of grant money available to a project from $5,000 to $7,500; enlarge the geographic area by extending the Main Street corridor north to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks; and consider a change that would allow business owners to apply for the grant more than once if they have not been awarded a grant in the previous three years.

To ensure grants are being awarded to viable businesses, applicants in business less than five years must present a letter of endorsement from the University of Kansas Small Business Development Center. Among the other new suggested conditions are a requirement that the grant make capital improvements to the property, and that any improvements of facades enhance the surrounding area and complement the historic character of the district.

Commissioners will discuss the proposal Monday. Staff will bring back a formal ordinance reflecting changes developed from commissioners’ comments.