By: Deborah Johnson Wood
The 18th annual Neighborhood Business Awards categories of Best Exterior Maintenance and Best Use of a Sign or Awning give residents a way to show their appreciation for the energy, time, and money neighborhood business owners invest in the public face of their stores.
One nominee for Best Exterior Maintenance is an unusual pocket park on the corner of Diamond and Wealthy SE. The 25-foot by 44-foot parcel of property adjacent to The Image Shoppe sat vacant for decades, much of that time with old gas storage tanks from a former gas station sitting underground. Developers removed the tanks, and owners Karen Tracey and Rob McCarty created an urban garden.
"I am a huge advocate of sustainable landscaping," says McCarty. "We're using plants, shrubs, and trees that are native to Michigan and the Great Lakes region. We want to show people green spaces can be done well."
A massive pergola made of concrete piers with 900-pound overhead beams makes a statement in the garden. Benches and patio furniture invite folks to take a load off, and gives transit riders a pleasant place to wait for the bus to arrive at the nearby stop.
Other nominees for Best Exterior Maintenance are:
- 28th Street/Division Avenue Gateway, 28th at Division
- Bazzani Associates, 959 Wealthy SE
- Lighthouse Furnishings, 1141 East Fulton
- Logan's Alley, 916 Michigan NE
- Wealthy & Diamond Pocket Park, Wealthy at Diamond
Bobby J's Cheshire is a nominee for Best Use of a Sign or Awning. Located in an older area of town that has an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary buildings, owner Bob Johnson wanted the restaurant's signage to reflect the essence of the original neighborhood.
"In designing the sign, we tried to stick with the original use of the building which used to be an old fashioned soda fountain," Johnson says. "We reworked our Bobby J's logo and took it back about ten years design-wise."
Nominees for Best Use of a Sign or Awning are:
The Neighborhood Business Alliance and Neighborhood Ventures sponsor the awards. Winners will be honored on November 8 at a gala event at the Wealthy Theatre from 5 PM to 8 PM. The gala is free and open to the public.
Stay tuned to Rapid Growth over the coming weeks for the continuation of our Development News series on the nominations, and for the opportunity to vote online for your favorites.
Source: Neighborhood Business Alliance; Neighborhood Ventures; Rob McCarty, The Image Shoppe; Bob Johnson, Bobby J's Cheshire
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Photographs by Brian Kelly
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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