BROOKINGS Almost seven months after a Dec. 30 fire destroyed Brosts Fashions, 318 Main Ave., neighboring businesses affected by the blaze are rebuilding and reopening.
Seven Songbirds Boutique, 320 Main Ave., suffered a ceiling collapse and had to be torn down. Theyre now in a temporary location at 416 4th St. The demolition of the old Seven Songbirds building impacted next-door neighbor The Exchange, 322 Main Ave.
Our goal of a grand reopening with a new beautiful store is Oct. 1, Jamie Werre with The Exchange said. We have been working on an extensive remodel of our store. We are replacing everything in the interior from ceilings, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, lighting, windows, doors, flooring, etc. We had to tear the building down to bare brick in order to brace the building up for the removal of Seven Songbirds. Once (Seven Songbirds) was removed, our shared structural support wall had to be removed by hand. That process is now complete, and the wall is just going to start being rebuilt.
Since the fire, The Exchange has been open by appointment only. Arrangements can be made at onlinegundeals.com.
We appreciate the community so much, Were said. Weve had so much support through this whole process, and we cant thank you enough.
Emerald Grace Clothing Company has relocated from 314 Main Ave. to 408 4th St..
We opened back up on 4th St., just half a block off of Main Ave., Erica Grinde with Emerald Grace said. The space weve rented is a little bit bigger than our space on Main Ave. We have more room for dressing rooms, the flow of the store is more open and we can fit more people coming through at a time. Weve enjoyed it so much that weve decided to stay where were at.
She said her business is doing better than ever.
Since the fire, weve actually added a second location, Grinde said. Were a vendor inside of a store inside Dell Rapids now. It was pre-planned before the fire to do that, but it was a couple weeks after we moved back into our new store that we actually did that.
She said the past months have proved challenging.
It was sad, but there was never a time that I cried, screamed or yelled; I just dealt with the cards that I was given, Grinde said. Its good to have people on your side. I would just say it shows a testament of how determined and motivated business owners are. Im not the only one but I was one of the first to reopen and we all love our community and want to be back as soon as we could. I am just thankful the community gave us so much support when we needed it.
Hand-Tied Gift & Floral Boutique has moved from 314 Main Ave. to 426 3rd St.
Weve got plenty of room and this is a good place, Sheri Vaughn with Hand-Tied said. It takes a lot of time, of course. I had to get a new sign, all new merchandise and all my floral supplies had to be brand new. It was kind of like starting a flower shop all over again for the very first time.
She said its been a learning lesson.
Youre leaving one place and re-establishing, rebuilding and rediscovering your niche, Vaughn said. It was a fun challenge but it was also difficult. I learned to make sure you have all your ducks in the row especially with insurance and stuff, because it is overwhelming. I feel for people who have lost so much more, because at the end of the day mine was somewhat minor to what others suffered. You learn to start over, plugging through and having a positive attitude.
She said Brookings is a supportive community.
I am very thankful for the support that was shown. Vaughn said. Im feeling 1000 percent more confident. Its just a matter of getting people to know where were at now. Because were not on Main Ave., the foot traffic isnt what were used to. We do get a lot of out-of-towners who come to shop Brookings and explore downtown, and its just a matter of getting them on to these side streets where weve relocated.
Kirsten Gjesdal is executive director of the Downtown Brookings organization.
Twenty-one total businesses were directly affected by fire, smoke and/or water damage, she said. Over $78,000 was disbursed to affected businesses and residents,with financial support from the Brookings Economic Development Corporation, the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce and donations from local businesses and community members.The resilience of our downtown community continues to amaze me, and I am thankful for the ongoing support of our small, locally owned businesses.
Contact Jay Roe at [email protected].
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