Imagine the look of downtown Winston-Salem with retailers such as hardware stores, movie theaters and more grocery stores.
That's just a few of the businesses that people are interested in having downtown, said Jason Thiel, the president of the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership.
The Retail Task Force of the partnership is developing an inventory of all storefront businesses in the core downtown area, including a detailed map of store-front space, their owners, conditions of properties, the amount of available space and lease rates.
The task force is also trying to come up with a target list of retailers who could be recruited downtown, including restaurants.
"We know what we have, the current inventory, but we also want to know what we should be targeting," Thiel said.
The partnership also wants to retain existing businesses and representatives will talk to downtown stakeholders about the businesses they would want recruited.
Once the list is ready, the partnership wants to find ways to generate money for a loan fund to help new and existing businesses renovate older buildings that have, for example, building and fire-code issues.
Thiel hopes that the inventory list of storefront businesses will be ready by early January.
Thiel said that a multiple-screen theater would be viable on the edges of downtown and a smaller one could work downtown.
In the meantime, more retail is on its way.
Management at the Loewy building on West Fourth Street is in negotiations with a printer and florist to open in the building in February, and hopes to eventually land a credit union, said property-manager Vanessa Giles.
A fairly new kid on the block is pleased with his move downtown.
Keith King, the owner of Kingz Downtown Market, a grocery store, said that he has not broken even yet, but business is good considering the current economic downturn. He opened his store nearly a year ago at 418 N. Liberty St. near Camel Pawn Shop.
Places for Pets
Two pet businesses in Winston-Salem have changed ownership.
Roger Vaughn, the former president of Aon Consulting, and his wife, Kim, a former compensation and benefits executive for BB&T Corp., have bought Ruff Housing at 336 Witt St. The company specializes in group play and boarding for dogs whose owners lack the time to walk them. Dogs get to play inside and outside. Overnight boarders stay in kennels or crate-free slumber party-style boarding.
After 22 years in business, Charmaine Daum has sold Groomingdale's A Cut Above to Alex Hauslee. The business, which is at 3910 Country Club Road across from Gordon Manor Shopping Center, offers grooming and boarding for dogs and cats. In terms of the boarding, dogs stay inside half the day and outside the rest of the day.
In Greensboro, sisters Paola Bedoya and Claudia Weiderman of Winston-Salem have opened Camp Bow Wow at 6207 Chimney Center Boulevard. The camp provides daycare and overnight boarding for dogs. Campers have indoor and outdoor play areas, and cameras allow pet owners to view their furry friends all day.
Downtown boutique
Amy McGinnis has opened Let It Be Yoga boutique in the same building as Yoga Gallery at 633 N. Trade St. near Finnigan's Wake. The boutique has apparel for activewear and yoga. Other products include gift items, mats, blocks, straps, books, DVDs, and natural beeswax candles with nontoxic glitter.
■ Fran Daniel can be reached at 727-7366 or at fdaniel@wsjournal.com.
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