Some storefronts open downtown

By RANDY GONZALES

Hays Daily News

If all goes as planned in the coming months, there will be one less empty storefront in downtown Hays.

Galen Romme of Romme Real Estate and Insurance Agency said a prospect is looking at the empty storefront at 1013 Main, which was where Legere Real Estate was located.

“Hope to be in this year,” Romme said of the specialty retail shop.

There are other stores in the downtown area empty, many of which could be opened in the future as part of the efforts of Downtown Hays Development Corp., which is in partnership with Liberty Group.

In 1999, Liberty Group was created by Chuck and Shirley Comeau to help revitalize the downtown area.

Liberty Group was picked by DHDC as the developer of the downtown projects.

Other empty storefronts downtown include:

nÀ717-719 Main, the former Philip hardware store;

nÀ801 Main, the former Wiesner's clothing store;

nÀ1008 Main, the Good Book Store Christmas annex;

nÀ1102 Main, the former Goodwill store;

nÀ1107 Main;

nÀ1108 Main, the former Hays State Bank;

nÀ1202 Main, Fox Theatre;

nÀ119 E. 8th;

nÀ811 Fort, the old opera house;

nÀ107 W. 10th;

nÀ106 W. 11th;

nÀ1100 Main, the former Bohm's coffee shop.

Bohm's coffee shop is undergoing renovations for two specialty retailers.

“In the public light, it's moving along slowly,” Romme said of the downtown improvements. “In the professional light, it's moving at warp speed.”

Also in the downtown area, Hadley Center at 205 E. Seventh offers office space.

Currently, there are 22 offices and a bakery at the site. There are 185,315 square feet at Hadley Center, with 85,100 leased. There are six more offices ready for leasing, and others can be leased in the future, as the need develops.

At The Mall, 2938 Vine, there are five empty storefronts, most notably the former Gullivers bookstore, which still has the sign over the entrance.

At 2702 Vine the former Sun Mart supermarket and ALCO discount store sit vacant. ALCO closed in September 2004, while Sun Mart, the latest in a string of groceries in the building, closed its doors in February 2004.

There still is a vacancy at the old Wal-Mart location at 3300 Vine, although it is flanked by two businesses.

Sports editor Randy Gonzales can be reached at (785) 628-1081, ext. 130, or by e-mail at

rgonzales@dailynews.net.