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	Business News What's changing with Coldwater businesses

Winter 2010

• In March, a new business Coldwater Gun & Pawn will be opening in the old Mr. Tunes location on Chicago Street. As shown in the photo, the large street windows were replaced in mid-December with smaller windows. The old Mr. Tunes awning still has not yet been replaced.
• A new business Blitz Hobbysports will be opening in March at the old Tiffanie's location next to Tibbit's (28 S. Hanchett).
• The old Salvation Army store by CVS has been totally refurbished into some nice offices, but there's no indication yet of what the new business will be.
  

• The Community Health Center billing office has been razed; it has been moved to the old location of CHC Family Medicine Clinic on Chicago St. (The Family Medicine Clinic moved to the new Community Care and Conference Center at the end of last summer.)
  

• According to the Grand Haven Tribune, Michigan Gas is closing its Coldwater office (70 Sauk River Dr.) on March 12.
  

• In April 2010, National City Bank in Coldwater will be renamed PNC Bank. In fact, the signs have apparently already been replaced, with bags being placed over them saying "National City" until the official unveil.
• A new business Hippy 2 Xtreme opened very briefly in the old Manpower office (499 Marshall St.), offering TShirts, candles, tobacco accessories, etc. However, Coldwater police also found marijauna paraphernalia in the store. Although Michigan voters recently approved the use of marijanua for medical reasons, the sale of paraphernalia within the city limits of Coldwater violates a local ordinance. On March 7th, protesters were seen on Marshall St. protesting the ordinance. No doubt this will be a hot local issue for months to come. In the meantime, Hippy 2 Extreme has relocated to U.S. 12 near Quincy.
  

  Fall 2009


Summer 2009


Spring 2009


Winter 2009


Fall 2008

• The Jay's Pontiac Buick GMC Truck dealership has been sold. Most likely the new owner will continue the business, but this is not known for sure. In the meantime, Jay's is having an inventory clearance sale.
  
• Halloween USA will not be returning to Coldwater this year, according to the Halloween USA website.
• The entire parking lot in front of CVS/Pharmacy is being torn up. It is not clear yet if they're just re-doing the parking lot or if they're going to build. It would seem though that they're spending an unusually large amount of money on the project. We'll watch and see what they do next. UPDATE, November 2008: It's just about done, and it's just a parking lot upgrade (but a nice one).
  
• With the Branch County Habitat for Humanity moving out of the old Kmart location, the Coldwater Health Center, which now owns the facility, plans some major renovations. Baker College, however, will stay there.
• Fiesta Hair & Tanning has been renamed Fiesta Salons.
• Pizza Hut has recently been changed to a Pizza Hut / Wing Street combination restaurant.
  
• The old Piefer's Grand Rental Station building on Marshall Street is being refurbished, possibly indicating that a new tenant may be moving in. A sign on the door says "Taxes Latino", but it is unclear whether this is a new business name or just a recently uncovered remnant from a past tenant. It does seem to be a new door, though.

  Summer 2008


Project "K" and "Project H" - 2008 / 2009

• Here's some exciting news for downtown: According to the Downtown Development Authority, a new restaurant will be constructed in the old Kerr Hardware Building (which closed 10 years ago and currently hosts a mural). Construction will happen all summer, and the restaurant could open as early as September.
  
• Update, July 2008: The Ann Arbor Business Review and Crain's Detroit Business both report that the Willis Building Company of Saline has been awarded the contract for the renovation. Interestingly, this will include four connected buildings, so in the long term future we may see more than just a new restaurant. The contract award implies that the developer has successfuly completed the purchase of the downtown property, so we should see work beginning soon!
• A reliable but anonymous local source claims that the two articles mentioned above are incorrect. I'm not sure what that means - that the company won't be Willis, that it won't be four buildings, or that the contract has not been signed. What is clear is that there is going to be a LOT of secrecy associated with this project, so rather than trust the rumors we're just going to have to observe what is going on from the outside in order to piece together the puzzle as it unfolds.
• Update, September 2008: Still NO progress at the Kerr Hardware site. My guess is that the Willis Building Company's contract is contingent on the sale of the property to the new owner, and that the potential new owner is still trying to get funding for the project.
• Update, November 2008: Still nothing. My guess is that with the current national mortgage crisis, the financing for the project fell through.
• NEWS FLASH (April 2009): According to the Daily Reporter, the project did not fall through at all; it's still in the works, just very slow. The purchaser (who is probably JM Wingard, LLC) is applying for state government funding for part of the project, which is apparently going well but is a slow cycle. Expected completion is now set for early 2010.
  

• The other exciting Winter - Summer 2008 project is what is going on in front of Home Depot. First, there is the new "salmon colored strip mall". As of June 2008, there are now two tenants: Dollar Tree, which completed its move from another strip mall ahead of schedule early this year, and a Sprint cell phone retail shop. The other two suites are being finished now but it is unknown if they have been rented yet. Construction fence remains just to the west of the strip mall suggesting that another small business might be constructed there, either soon or in the distant future.
• Just south of the strip mall, plans are underway for a new "drive thru restaurant" (approximately in the location shown in the map above). These plans have now been approved by the Coldwater Planning Commission [March 2008]. At both February and March meetings of the commission, the developer implied he had a tenant for the restaurant but declined to reveal its identity. There is again a lot of speculation about the new business; one possible candidate was thought to be Big Apple Bagels, which already operates in Coldwater and covets a drive-thru and was denied permission to add one at its current location - but it now seems that the property will host a much larger restaurant and that the drive-thru will be an added bonus for the tenant.
• Update, June 2008: MyColdwater.com has just learned that the "drive thru restaurant" will be a Biggby coffee shop with drive-thru. (Biggby is a Michigan owned chain that used to be called Beaners.)
• Update, July 2008: Building is continuing rapidly; the roof is now on.
  
• Update, August 2008: An ad appeared in the Shopper's Guide saying that Biggby will open soon. Interestingly, they included a coupon for $1 off a specialty drink (why offer a coupon for a store that isn't open yet?). Even more interestingly, though, the coupon says that it's only good Sept. 23 - 27. Why would they include that specific date range... unless Sept. 23 was about the time they plan to have their grand opening?
• Update: The guess about the date was correct... Biggby Coffee is now open!
  

Spring 2008


  Winter 2008


Fall 2007