An ‘antique, vintage and collectible store’ is planned for 2301 S. Big Bend Boulevard. Maplewood Planning and Zoning is set to vote on a recommendation for the shop at its July 5 meeting, at city hall at 7 p.m., according to a city notice on the door. The commission will also hear citizens’ comments.
Ronnie Vinton made the request for planning and zoning to consider the store.
Maplewood City Council will hold a public hearing on the matter at its meeting on July 11.
Ronnie is a close friend of mine; so I have some inside info some might not of realized. There are 11 parking spots on the upper parking lot just south of the building in addition to the small front parking lot and street parking on Folk Ave. This is a move of Cool Stuff Period, an existing business from 6403 Clayton Road. Ronnie has earned a reputation for having a great eye and a flair for design. His merchandise is all cherry picked by himself. His base clientele are those who appreciate hi-end designer items. It is at the opposite end of the spectrum from so-called flea markets and junk stores. If anyone has doubts or concerns, I encourage them visit his existing store and then report back. I’m confident they will speak highly of Ronnie’s business .
Good points, Adelina and Joe S.
Anyone think about parking?
While I agree with Adelina that many antique shops can drive foot traffic, I don’t see this as being one of those spots since it is on Big Bend which remains car centric. Still, I don’t feel like this site requires a lot of parking. Maybe the lack of lot parking has led potential investors to view other properties, but this amount of parking is adequate for an antique shop. I prefer less open lots in my community and there is street parking available to the north side of the building on Folk ave. If someone buys a larger item they could always pull their car into the lot to load it and be on their way. I suppose if the business became very popular, they could invest in the lot catty corner to them (the one that Brody’s lamp uses but never seems to fill more than a few spots).
Welcome! Good idea!
I’ve been to cities where antique shops drive a lot of foot traffic. It gives me hope of making Big Bend more walking friendly in the future.
How many antique shops/flea markets does MW need? We have cornered the market on chicken shacks why not this category as well…
Others may disagree, but it is a smart choice for location with the other two antique shops being close. This is a good example of how similar businesses will actually draw more people to that area and add value to the community (think of antique row on Cherokee street). Each antique store tends to sell items that are similar in purpose but different in style. Compare that to Lowes, Menards, Home Depot which often have very similar purpose and style so if you shop at one you don’t visit the others.