Empty!

Empty store fronts are 1) surprising in our boom town atmosphere and 2) usually don't last long. Of course, the prime corner of Montezuma and Gurley couldn't have stayed empty after the Christian Corner moved and, in truth, it hasn't. A real estate firm is busy remodeling the premise for its street-side office. As far as I am concerned, it might as well be empty; RE offices don't add anything to the street ambiance. Too bad the plans for a bookstore/social center/coffee house fell through!

More perplexing, we have a strip along West Gurley that is fast emptying out, with no announcements of what happens next. By me, Breunner's (above) looks to be far more suitable as a big restaurant or night spot than as the furniture store it's been all these years. I was always surprised by a retail operation with such a cave-like entrance and lack of show windows. Plenty of parking, however.

The natural foods store down the street now sits empty. Rumor has a restaurant as the likely tenant, which certainly would pick up business along the McCormick Street "art district." Too bad the old commercial, wooden refrigerators got sold along with other fixtures. The building, which I believe has been a food store for much of its history, has a splendid tin ceiling.

And, smack dab between the buildings above is the McIlvain dealership, no doubt still in probate. Another local rumor says that the building was offered to the Sharlot Hall Museum across the street at one point, but turned down. Too bad, if so. Again, plenty of parking.

But here's the granddaddy of all empty Prescott retail space -- the old Fry's shopping center. It's been vacant since Fry's bought out Smith's & moved to its present location on Fair Street how many years ago? There was a big flurry of remodelling activity last winter, yet all but one of the stores (and a theater) remain E-M-P-T-Y. Strange. We all know who belongs in that supermarket space, don't we!

Note: If you want to get a taste of the Bluegrass Festival at the Square this weekend, click on over to Oddball Observations who took pictures at two outdoor events this weekend. Catalyst, who operates the site, even offers music to match.