Two existing businesses moving to Jasper Square

Buildings in on the Square in downtown Jasper don’t stay empty long.

With Libby’s Gourmet Ice Cream making their big move to the corner location along 6th Street, a spot opened up on the northwest corner. But, as of Friday, that spot has already been spoken for by Shelly’s Unique Boutique.

According to owner Shelly Seger, she has wanted to move to the Square for awhile. She opened her business specializing in upcycled fashion about three and a half years ago at 706 Main Street. Here is a story about her business.

The expansive business in its current location is stock full of consignment clothing in name brands as well as brand new jewelry and accessory items.

Shelly said she was concerned that the location on the square might be too small for her business. Ater touring the space, she decided there was plenty of room for her businesses upcoming changes.

According to Shelly, the new space will be roughly half the size of her current location, but she plans to refine her lines exclusively to those name brands that other local stores don’t offer.

“We will be smaller but better,” she said about the changes.

Moving sale signs went up on her current location today and she plans on beginning some renovations at the new location next week. She hopes to open there in late March or early April.

In another move, the father-daughter team at Made With Grace will be moving from their Clay Street location to the store next to the Astra Theatre at 519 Main St. with formerly housed the Bridal Boutique.

According to co-owner Lisa Lamont, she and her dad Kenny Hurst began renovations on the location in January as soon as it became available when the owner of the Bridal Boutique retired.

Made With Grace opened in November of 2014 at 407 Clay Street. They specialize in personalizing items through embroidery, etching and heat transfer. They also offer custom fruit bouquets. Here is a story about their business. 

Since opening, the business has continued to grow and expand its services.

Besides the extra foot traffic the location will garner, the business needs the extra space offered by the building. “It is a little over double the size of what we have now,” Lisa said. “It is mainly for the foot traffic. We can’t wait to be up there with all the other businesses.”

Lisa added that the move will more than double the workspace where she and her dad design and create many of their items as well as double the kitchen space for the hugely popular fruit bouquets (they are great by the way).

According to Lisa, with the move to the Square, the business is going to offer some new items. “But we aren’t going to reveal what that will be until we open,” she said.

This will be the company’s second move. They began at their home and expanded to Clay Street. “Things are going well,” Lisa said. “It’s very excited. We are both very excited. The feedback we are getting from our current customers and the new customers has been great.”

Made With Grace had wanted to open by March 1st in time for the concert at the Astra Theatre, but renovations on the new location have pushed the opening to late March or early April.

With the changes going on around the Square and a block in each direction, city officials and business owners hope it will only become more attractive to visitors as well as residents. Rundell Ernstberger Associates was hired in December to finalize planning for the updates. The necessary surveying and mapping are being completed now.

Ideas proposed for the area include more outdoor seating with corner nooks around the Square, wider sidewalks and more landscaping to create an attractive area to gather and hang out, and the addition of better parking and a bike path.