What’s going on across the street…

Since things are slow (but steady) in progressing toward a start work date on the Lesmeister project, I want to put in mention of the project going on across the street from The Lesmeister.

My sister Carol, being a business-minded person, saw the Lesmeister project as something that will be raising property values, and “busy-ness” in that area of downtown, so she bought the building across the street from me, and is restoring it to its original 1905 look. It will serve as “some sort of store”, she hasn’t really decided what, but she’s leaning toward a variety store, with a bit of everything, including bread, milk and eggs since there’s no longer a convenience store in downtown Pocahontas. She’ll only use the left 3/5 of the building. The right 2/5 has a separate entrance and dividing wall between it and her side of the building. She plans to rent that to some “pro-tourism” sort of business.

The variety store will be a handy place to sell Lesmeister souvenirs, like the ceramic mugs we’re planning to have made, as well as a place where guests can pick up quick necessities like aspirin, bandaids, and a few groceries.

Here are some photos showing how her building looked a few months ago when she bought it, how it looks now as they’ve restored the windows over the front doors, and a computer-generated view of what it may look like when it’s finished and that awful paint is removed from the bricks. (click the photo to enlarge it)