30 James St.:
I remember coming to the Bay in the 60's to visit my relatives. One of my fondest memories was an evening stroll down the street towards the Lower James St. Dock. As I recall, that street was aglow with neon lights that bathed you in warm rich colors, giving you the feeling of being on another world. A carnival world... with the thrills and excitement of street side vendors, stores, and restaurants.
As the years went by, some of the signs were replaced with those new fangled signs, that required less up keep, but lacked the alluring glow of the NEON. The Spot and the Homestead signs flickered for many years but eventually the power was turned off and the business was closed and abandoned. The buildings started to deteriorate and would soon become eyesores.
Several years ago, the Donegan family acquired the property and started renovations to bring the structures into a sellable state. The partially renovated property has been on the market since.
Something to be excited about!
At tonight's Village Board meeting, Alan Taylor announced that he and his wife Michele are in the process of purchasing the "Old" Spot and Homestead and are going to complete the renovations that were started by the Donegans a few years ago. The Neon signs are going to be restored to their original glow, bringing back the memories of those days gone by.
The Taylor Family plans to be open by this Memorial Day, a daunting time frame to say the least. Mr. Taylor told the board that they plan on leasing a portion of the Homestead to one of the local wineries as a satellite location. A gift shop that specializes in wine related fair will occupy another section of the building.
Plans for the Spot include a restaurant and bar. In addition, the front lawn will be converted into a terrace with pavers, for visitors to enjoy an outdoor ambiance. Below is the audio from tonights board meeting that elaborates on the Taylor's plans for the property:
