Village businesses put shine on for summer

The echo of nail guns and circular saws has finally stopped on Electric Avenue, and as the dust settles the view is decidedly impressive.

With new tenants in a slew of buildings that had been sporting "For Rent" signs and a slate of remodeling and construction projects finished up, downtown is full and bright and ready for the influx of visitors.

The centerpiece of the newly updated Electric Avenue is the $1 million lobby expansion at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts. With a curved glass entrance and a new facade, the Theatre by the Bay now looks like the linchpin of the Village that it has been for years.

"All of a sudden, as you're walking down Electric Avenue, you finally see this great building," said BCPA Foundation board member Bridget Michlig. "To see it in the evening, with all the lights, it is truly spectacular. I think that people are going to be drawn to it."

Besides the theatre, a raft of businesses have undergone renovations or at least a spit shine and a few vacant ones have been filled.

The Jug Tree liquor store, Sacred Dancing Gallery and the new Persimmon Gallery have all gotten new paint jobs or front architecture. Persimmon Gallery — started by a co-op of local artists in the old Midnight Sun Gallery building — is one of the new tenants. Others include the soon-to-open River Street Cafe in the old home of the Re-Bar watering hole and the Wine Cellar Cafe in the old Wild Mile Deli Building. Bigfork Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bruce Solberg said a sushi restaurant is slated to fill the vacant building left by Bugzy's Pizza's departure last year. Her Alibi spa also opened up in Twin Birch Square recently.

Creative and Native has switched sides of the street to be the first business to set up shop in the Double Eagle building where Chumley's Double Eagle bar stood for many years.

"We're opening up a cafe next door soon, too," Creative and Native owner Jill Mehall told a crowd at her store's grand opening on Saturday morning.

The Bigfork Chamber cut a ceremonial ribbon at the opening, then quickly hurried to both Persimmon Gallery and Her Alibi for a quick ribbon cutting as well.

Solberg said he couldn't remember seeing a burst of new businesses like the one going on downtown right now.

"In the three years I've been here, we've only done two ribbon cuttings," he said. "And one of those was at BruMar (which Solberg owns)."

Despite tough economic times, business and building owners are feeling bullish about Bigfork's future as an economic force in the Valley.

"I'm very optimistic about Bigfork's future," said Paul Bradshaw, a part-time Bigfork resident who owns the Double Eagle building. "Independently owned businesses suffer the most in a recession, so it speaks to the character of Bigfork merchants that they're willing to invest in the future even though we're currently experiencing the longest recession in almost 80 years. With the upgrades we see on Electric Avenue, I think we'll be well-positioned to ride the recovery when it happens."

Bradshaw said he sees Bigfork becoming a center for high-end retail in the Valley, incorporating elements from Western retail meccas like Jackson Hole and Aspen.

"Bigfork can become synonymous with the most exclusive shopping in this part of the world," he said. "The recent upgrades to downtown Bigfork are part of that transition."