02/16/2018
Fiber Arts District Vision - Entrepreneurs Needed! The vision of neighborhood residents and artists who came together was to add a major fiber arts business, a coffee or sandwich shop and maybe a Greek place to this wonderful neighborhood setting.
Fiber Arts Business - Our vision was to develop a business that would serve producers of raw fiber, processed fiber and finished goods....connecting artisans and producers from Topeka and statewide and generating sales both locally and nationally, possibly farther. Internal setup, based on a model from Minneapolis, would be in four parts - leasable lab space for steamy messy work, flexible open space for classroom/meeting use, limited front gallery/showroom for display of samples and links to sources locally and statewide and back-office that would provide shared address and office for local fiber arts guilds and artisans. As we started, there was plenty of interest ion the part of artists, but an entrepreneur was, and still is, needed!
Coffee or Sandwich Shop - Could easily be a 6AM-2PM business, great central location for a catering kitchen.
Greek place - See above. Every time people met, the idea of a Greek place was popular! This location is close walking distance to both hospitals. Currently a former Long John Silver's space is vacant at 6th and Washburn and a 50's-vintage former gas station in the zone could be converted.
Today this district, at 5th and Washburn, has a yoga studio, a personal trainer, team trainers, a hair salon, a financial planning firm, and an entrepreneur who is baking pies in the basement of the church. 3-6 spaces, one 3,600 square feet and together totalling over 6,000 square feet, are available. On-street parking immediately in front of the businesses is limited; over 150 spaces are available within one block for arranged parking for staff and "overflow" parking for customers. The intersection was recently refreshed and repaved, including enhanced pedestrian crosswalks, through a combined City/neighborhood project. Adjoining neighborhoods are Ward-Meade, Kenwood, Potwin and Greater Auburndale.
