South end of downtown takes off with new residents, local flavor

From behind the counter at The Breaks Coffee Roasting Co., co-owner Mary Campbell has a clear view of the growing neighborhood around her.

“It wasn’t an accident,” she said of the coffee shop’s decision to locate there.

“We’ve had our eyes on this spot for quite some time and just think this block is really cool.”

In visiting other cities, The Breaks owners also saw a spot where “the neighborhood meets the commercial,” she continued.

Neighborhood spots.

“We love the idea of neighborhood spots,” she continued. “And on this block, you get such a good cross-section.”

The Breaks sits at 311 E. 12th St. in the thick of the south end of downtown, where in the past 12 to 18 months new apartments and businesses have opened – with more on the way.

There’s apartment housing mixed with single family. There’s new construction blended with historic.

Looking out at customers lined up at the register, Campbell spots someone who works at a nearby downtown office.

The post office is on the block, too, leading to new business at The Breaks.

“Tons of people say, ‘I was dropping a package and saw there’s a coffee place,’ ” Campbell said.

“There’s a lot of value in being off the main drag of downtown. I love Phillips Avenue, but you get the fringe clientele over here a little bit.”

The business mix attracts those with an appreciation for grassroots business. Places such as Total Drag were early pioneers, joined by Common Sense and Green Dream Screen Printing.

“We love our block. We love our neighbors,” Campbell said. “Everybody has been so supportive despite the fact they can’t come in and hang out (because of the pandemic). They will sit in the drizzle and finish an espresso outside.”

Game Chest moved across downtown 18 months ago, from the north end to the south, where the game shop found more space at 409 S. Second Ave.

“I love this side of downtown,” co-owner Amanda Wermers said. “I think it’s highly underrated. It has the coolest businesses. I love our location and love the space we picked, and it’s our hope we can stay in this area even if we end up growing more.”

Game Chest has found crossover business with surrounding shops, she added.

“We have tons of people who are customers of ours and of Total Drag especially. We just have the same groove,” she said.

“And people who would drive by after shopping at The Breaks would pull in and saw the flag and wondered if we were a board game store. A lot of people who didn’t know we existed have discovered us since moving here.”

The demographic in the neighborhood is largely millennials, she added.

“They really value shopping local and really value quality time and face-to-face interaction. We’re a place for that kind of energy.”

The area from 12th to 14th streets has the potential to become the next thriving corridor, said Jeff Eckhoff, the city’s director of planning and development services.

“We’ve really seen increased activity along 12th, including from Josiah’s and Blarney Stone,” he said.

There also are plans this year to reconstruct Phillips Avenue from 14th to 18th streets.

The city has been entertaining redevelopment proposals for a half-acre parking lot at First Avenue and 12th Street that Eckhoff said drew interest. The city hopes to bring a proposal forward yet this spring, he said.

“The interest we have continues to recognize the demand for housing downtown and the increased activity and activation of that 12th Street area,” he said. “People are anxious to be a part of that.”

In the meantime, more housing in the area already is on the way.

Legacy Developments is building Prescott Place Apartments on a vacant property at 417 S. Second Ave, bringing 39 one-bedroom and seven two-bedroom apartments.

Legacy also is a partner in the nearby Third Avenue Lofts that opened in 2020 with 87 apartments.

At Prescott Place, the goal is to offer most apartments at under $1,000 per month. The complex will include underground parking, a community room, fitness center, dedicated dog wash and a shared patio. The plan is for residents to begin moving in in early spring of 2022.

“We’re really targeting some of those people who maybe are new to downtown or downsizing,” vice president Daren Ketcham said, adding the company notices the growth in activity at places such as the nearby Breaks coffee shop.

“It’s just busy all the time,” he said. “And we think there’s opportunity over there to create a nice little microcommunity within the downtown, which just expands the presence of downtown out, and we think it’s going to be great.”