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Have you used it lately? And more significantly, has anyone observed an increase in people biking on it? Does it draw in new people biking? And how does it function for kids? There was no "walk and roll to school day" hoopla earlier this month, and it had seemed like some might be keyed to the Greenway.
Is there a plan for post-construction assessment? |
Governor's Cup Expanding or Moving?
Others will have more detail on whether the Governor's Cup is moving or is expanding, but details in a Hearing Notice at the Historic Landmarks Commission show that the old Allan Bros. space downtown on Liberty Street should not be vacant long and strongly suggest the Governor's Cup is going into it.
The main thing the HLC will consider is the request to eliminate the recessed porch with a new storefront system continuous with the windows and wall of the second floor. (Probably there is an anti-camping element in play here.) But it's good that the space will not be vacant long.
Some have cited the coffee shop's closing as a sign that our downtown is ill. But Allan Bros has been closing shops around the valley. In Eugene a third-wave roaster, Farmers Union Roaster, recently went in the old Allan Bros shop in 5th Street downtown, and they seem to be plenty busy. In that instance, and likely here in Salem also, the problem may have more more to do with a tired brand than problems of downtown economics or politics. Allan Bros did not seem be able to bring themselves out of a 1980s model of coffee retailing, and the market has moved on to newer styles in coffee shops. There are other ingredients also, and it's true the Starbucks on Chemeketa and Liberty closed, but it's not like Allan Bros elsewhere have been thriving. That's surely the main factor.
Here's an old photo of the upper part of the building. (More discussion of it here) |
Dennison Building in Downtown Historic District |