Main Spotlight: Reviving Commercial Kitchens in Charles Town

Economic development in historic downtowns is complicated but incredibly rewarding. Sometimes, it is much like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Yes, a bit of a cliché, but in this instance, there is no better way to describe the sometimes-difficult process of finding the right entity to match with an accommodating property. Historic buildings define our character, tell our stories, and amplify our collective charm. The businesses in those buildings give us vibrancy, connection to our community, and a sense of place. It is incredibly important to meld the two in a way that benefits not only those entities but the community.

The question becomes, how?

Our Story in Charles Town  

The City of Charles Town has offered a façade improvement grant for quite a number of years. Since my time with the city, I noticed the decrease in applicants. The decrease was not due to lack of interest, but due to property owners utilizing the grant, and there are only so many properties. We can have all of the historically exquisite buildings we want, but if the buildings are not active with vibrant businesses, then what is the point? The City of Charles Town had incentivized creating beautiful facades, and now it was time to focus on the inside. With a façade budget that wasn’t being exhausted, I sought to use some leftover funds for internal improvements.

Like many towns, Charles Town needs commercial kitchens in the worst way. The City of Charles Town’s 2040 Historically Hip Comprehensive plan has a downtown first focus and a commitment to a vibrant community. Additionally, the City of Charles Town received a market study analysis completed by Downtown Professionals Network through West Virginia Main Street. It overwhelmingly proved our need for more restaurant and active retail establishments. Armed with that, I began developing my ask for the City of Charles Town to fund internal improvements for older historic buildings. I call this grant, “The REVIVE! Commercial Grant Program”.

Before I presented to City Council to ask for funding, I asked Partner Community Capital, a nonprofit community lender that works with small businesses specifically in Appalachia, to review my program and provide feedback. They not only loved it but signed on to be a partner. They offered to fund architectural services which would result in the drawing of renderings for the applicant. This architect would bring much needed experience and advice to applicants in the program.  

My next step was to present this concept to City Council. I highlighted the goals in the comprehensive plan, the lower application rate of the façade grant, the needs identified in our market study, and the real, but significant cost of effective adaptive reuse of a space. The Charles Town City Council unanimously voted to fund a pilot of the REVIVE! Grant. 

How does the REVIVE! Grant work?

This grant focuses on the adaptive reuse of older historical buildings into vibrant commercial spaces. For Charles Town, the criteria require the use to be commercial, with preference given to retail and restaurant spaces that are for-profit entities. This is a dollar-for-dollar matching grant up to $10,000. An applicant expresses interest, and then we assess the involvement of Partner Community Capital’s architect. Building visits are scheduled, and then a paper application is required. The decision on funding is ultimately decided by the REVIVE! committee. They review all applications based on a list of criteria and determine the awards. Vacant buildings are considered higher priorities, as are the implementation of full commercial kitchens. The committee also assess viability, and if the proposed plan aligns with the City of Charles Towns 2040 Comprehensive plan. In 2021, a total of $38,000 was allotted for applicants. We received four applications and ultimately funded three, maxing out at $38,000 in awards.

Those three will ALL have commercial kitchens.

The first kitchen expansion to be completed, with an opening date by February 2023, will be The Caverns Ice Cream Shop, owned by Jeff and Jennifer Whitten. Their business existed prior to REVIVE!, but without the full capacity to serve and provide an indoor seating space. We are thrilled that Jeff and Jennifer made the decision to move an office out of the first floor so that indoor seating could be created. They very clearly believe in our town and will continue to contribute in positive and meaningful ways.

Natalie Greene purchased the old police station through a request for proposal process through the City of Charles Town and is opening the Liberty Street Deli, which will bring an active space to Liberty Street, which is up and coming with new businesses. This project is slated to open in 2023.

In addition, I cannot speak on REVIVE! without sharing the story of Jessy and Matt Printz.

The focus of my position with the City of Charles Town is business and economic development. I help pair business owners and investors into the right properties. Jessy reached out because she was looking for a space for her Mortgage Company. My preference, like most Main Street directors, was that she move to the second floor of a building. She began leaning towards purchasing an entire building. Enter the North Mildred Depot. This building had been for sale off and on for many years and was severely underutilized and in significant need of improvements. It is a 12,000 square foot building built in 1906. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places and sits adjacent to an active railroad track. From the outside, it looked vacant, and the renovations seemed daunting. But the Printzs saw hope and had a vision.  

They purchased the North Mildred Depot in December of 2021. The REVIVE! Grant was released, and the Printzs were ready to apply. The architect funded by Partner Community Capital was Bryson VanNostrand and he brought his brilliant mind and talent to the North Mildred Depot.

After many meetings with Bryson and myself, Jessy and Matt made a decision. This building was meant to give back to our community. It is a building of 1,000 stories, with many more to tell. The Market Study, funded by Main Street West Virginia, guided the Printzs in their investment strategy, which will directly meet the needs of our community. On the first floor, the building will house one full restaurant/brewery in the rear portion, and a front retail space or bakery in the front. On the second floor, there will be three long term rentals, along with Jessy’s mortgage office. Her decision to put her office on the second floor was made with intention and with her community in mind. The Printz’s vision is an example of how positive adaptive reuse will contribute to the vibrant future of our downtown. Without property owners like them, and the Whittens, downtowns will struggle. This success story would not have been told without the REVIVE! Commercial Grant Program and the partnership of Partner Community Capital.

The Depot District

With the renovation of the North Mildred Depot, a new district is being created in our town: The Depot District. Historically, this is a small neighborhood business district that is two blocks from downtown. You will walk right past the Caverns Ice Cream Shop into the Depot District. The Printzs are the first to begin redevelopment in that area, and there is already interest in other properties. The City of Charles Town is committed to helping facilitate economic growth in the Depot District.

Looking Forward

As I stated, the City of Charles Town allotted $38,000 for a pilot program. Due to the success, they since committed to a yearly budget for REVIVE!. Even more exciting, Senator Shelley Moore Capito also believed in our REVIVE! grant program. She provided a federal earmark for $250,000 to use for our REVIVE! Grant program. We are anxiously awaiting the funding so that we can begin our next round applications.

My advice for other Main Street Directors: do not be afraid to make the ask. No one knows what a Main Street needs more than the people immersed in it daily. I offer the following thoughts on creating your ask:

1. Identify your need. It may not be commercial kitchens; it may be other repairs. Identify what you think your town needs most to reach success.
2. Read the Communities Comprehensive Plan. Take notes and identify goals that directly align with your determined need.
3. Research your cities budget and note where there could be opportunities for funding. We allocated unused funds from the façade improvement program towards the REVIVE! Grant program.
4. Write the grant application and define how the projects will be evaluated and awarded.
5. Seek partners. Think outside the box. Having others buy in will only help with your ask.
6. Make a presentation to your council.

Overall, the process in the City of Charles Town was smooth, and the result was a major success. I am looking forward to facilitating more REVIVE! grant awards as our town continues to grow and attracted partners like the Whittens and The Printzs. I am happy to share our grant application or answer any questions. I can be reached at ecook@charlestownwv.us