Changes coming to downtown shops
By NICOLE
MOORADIAN
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Photo by JESSICA HOPPER |
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Downtown Lexington is getting a facelift this spring, with shops changing locations, and at least one new store opening.
Sweet Treats Bakery is opening a patio in the back of the building and will be expanding its menu with more sandwiches and some Carribbean food. Former Sheridan Livery chef Shane Gonsalves brings the changes to the bakery where he is joining his wife, Dawn.
"We've been planning this from day one," Dawn Gonsalves said, adding that her husband's cooking will give her more time to focus on the baking side of the business.
A skin care and make up shop will open in late May on Nelson Street, in the old Black Dog Cafe location. Let's Make Up will carry NV Perricone and Bare Escentuals, and will staff a skin care expert to assist customers. Intimate U owner Tracey Lackey is opening the new store, which she describes as "a mini Sephora." Lackey says she's opening the shop because there is "no place downtown to buy a tube of lipstick."
The Potting Shed will also move from its current spot on the corner of Nelson and Main streets out to the College Square Shopping Center.
"We need a bigger space," owner Faith Vosburgh explained. "We'll have more plants, trees, and shrubs."
Additionally, the shop will be open seasonally, from March until November each year.
The new location will open for the first time at the end of April, and the current location will close in mid-June.
"We have always intended to be a nursery," Vosburgh said. "We opened the store downtown primarily for exposure."
Both Baths of Eden and Walkabout Outfitters are moving into the space on Washington Street where Sayre Sportswear used to be. Additionally, owner Kirk Miller is opening another Walkabout Outfitters in Roanoke.
A Macado's Restaurant and Bar is expected to move into the Wilson Walker House in the near future, according to the Lexington and Rockbridge Chamber of Commerce and the restaurant’s Web site.
According to the Chamber of Commerce, a Rockbridge County or Lexington Walgreens is "in discussion."
"We're always trying to encourage new business downtown," Chamber of Commerce Promotions Manager Robert Chambers said.
And, of course, there are always the persistent rumors of a Starbucks or Quiznos coming to the area, but those cannot be confirmed.
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisors:
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd