Hamilton continues to experience growth, redevelopment, and revitalization
About four years ago, the revitalization that was happening on High Street in Hamilton trickled over the bridge onto Main Street.
New small businesses began filling some of the empty storefronts, with growth that continues to spread today, said Mallory Greenham, small business development specialist with the City of Hamilton. She says developers and business owners are interested in spaces all the way down to the busy Millville-Main-Eaton intersection.
One of Greenham’s roles is to help get these businesses into the spotlight.
“My first interaction with a new business is when they are looking to locate here. I have helped them find spaces,” she said. “Once they are established, I work on promotion and marketing campaigns with them and the Chamber of Commerce.”
Main Street is fresh with new businesses all around that benefit from the City and the Chamber creating events such as “Holly Jolly Hamilton,” which was a series of holiday festivities marketed together to draw in customers.
Someone who hasn’t visited the area in the past 5 years will feel a very different vibe upon returning.
One of the most successful events the Main Street businesses have each year is Music on Main — one of the activities on the Holly Jolly Hamilton schedule — and in 2020, it stretched back over the bridge to include High Street businesses. During Music on Main, folks may stroll along the road and shop in stores, salons, restaurants, hear music outside, visit food trucks and more. In November 2020 the city increased the health safety by putting barriers out into the roadway a bit so folks could safely walk past each other with distance.
Currently, the City is focusing on finding businesses for a mixed-use redevelopment property at Main and North D. These brick buildings have a modern vintage feel — Hamiltonians may be familiar with them as they sit on property across D Street from The Village Parlor ice cream shop and are conveniently located by a parking lot for Main Street shoppers. The City is seeking redevelopment proposals now.
One big project under way is the redevelopment of a 165-year-old building at Main and F Streets. Jeff and Gina Bucalo have partnered with Dave and Emily Ernst to turn it into a food truck park called The HUB. The main building on the property will have a bar with craft beer and indoor seating year-round.
Bucalo said they want to feature regional craft beers, and for those who sit outside, customers should feel like they are hanging out in their own backyard.
“Food trailers, pods and food trucks will supply a variety of local and regional cuisines with plenty of seating and table options for our patrons. We would like our backyard to feel like our customers’ backyard — a comfortable, casual, family-friendly, pet-friendly environment for all,” Bucalo said in October.
Salvaging the building as much as possible will lend to educating people on the history of Hamilton. The interior design will be focused on antiquity, he said. Even the coasters will include facts about the city.
In the 200 block of Main Street, developers are working to open Billy Yanks, a restaurant that will include handcrafted sandwiches on the menu, and a more upscale cocktail bar highlighting bourbons. It is expected to open sometime this Spring. The restaurant’s name is a nod to the bronze statue of a Civil War soldier that is on top of Hamilton’s Soldiers, Sailors and Pioneers Monument, just on the other side of the High Street Bridge.
For the businesses located on this Hamilton thoroughfare, the Main Street Area Association is another group working actively to grow and maintain it as a social, dining and shopping destination. The MSAA provides resources for planning, zoning, financing, external building work and even signage.
Paula Hollstegge and Becky Payne co-own HIP Boutique in the 100 block of Main Street and said being located there the past four years has been great exposure and it feels good to be part of the resurgence.
“As a young girl I spent a lot of time in town, my mom worked at Elder Beerman for many years,” Hollstegge said. “We hope to enjoy many years as boutique owners on Main Street.”
Another Main Street business owner, Carrie O’Neal, said the historic buildings were a draw for her.
“I opened Scripted Studio in April 2019. At the time, I lived in Fairfield and could see the revitalization efforts going on in Hamilton,” O’Neal said. “The architecture of the historic buildings on Main Street was captivating for me, and I found the space at 306 Main St. just magical. I also found this corner by D street to be ideal because of the proximity to Two Little Buds, True West Coffee and Village Ice Cream Parlor.”
It was also important for O’Neal to have good customer parking nearby.
“This location has (it) in abundance,” she said.
Scripted is one of the more unique businesses in the city. O’Neal does a great deal of corporate branding work, packaging design, event design and print collateral. She also designs for numerous online stationery brands such as minted.com, simplytoimpress.com, photoaffections.com and greenvelope.com.
“I have a lifelong love with stationery and pretty paper goods, and have always dreamed of owning a little paper shop. I have worked from home for the past 18 years as we were raising our children. My sweet babies are now 19 and 17 and the “need” for their mother to be at home full time was ending. I decided that it was the right time in my life to move my design studio out of the house, pursue my passion to own a paper shop, and be a part of the revitalization going on in downtown Hamilton,” O’Neal said.
And while health and beauty shop LahVDah has moved from its location on Main Street to a storefront at Bridgewater Falls, owner Venita Allen said placing her business on Main Street five years ago brought her great success and the opportunity for growth. She was in the Findlay Market in Cincinnati for 15 years but wanted to come home to be part of the changes going on in Hamilton.
“The main pro is that Main Street is a high-traffic area,” Allen said. “The process of Hamilton being rebuilt and revitalized is bringing attention to small businesses on Main Street. Josh Smith (Hamilton’s city manager) and Tom Vonderhorst (the city’s executive director of external services) have worked very hard to be sure that small-business people succeed. We are blessed to have them striving to grow the city. There are no cons to being on Main Street,” she said.