Changes afoot in S. Perry district
John Steltwagen is excited about the changes on South Perry Street, particularly to his two adjacent buildings on the west side of the 1000 block.
Steltwagen, who runs family-owned Little Tomato LLC, bought the buildings about six months ago and has space for seven tenants.
Among changes and activities are:
The Scoop, previously owned by nearby The Shop owner Mark Camp, was bought by Andrew Sackville-West and Pat Sullivan. The 2-year-old ice cream store reopened last week.
Steltwagen said the owners plan to have an ice cream truck at different events throughout the summer.
Neat Old Stuff, which is one door south, has been open since March 2004. Owner C.P. Phare, a longtime antique dealer in Washington, Idaho and California, has filled her shop with vintage, retro, home and fashion items.
The merchandise is priced from 95 cents to $500.
She also offers upholstery service.
Phare might expand to the lower level of the building.
Haran School of Irish Dance, owned by Caitlin Haran, is next to Phare’s store. Steltwagen said there’s talk the studio will move downstairs, opening up a spot for a new tenant.
The biggest question is who’s going to move into the space on the corner?
Since Gertrude and Bud Evans closed their Gertrude’s Black Forest Deli a few years ago, two others have made unsuccessful attempts at the restaurant business. Currently the space is being fixed to conform with the other storefronts.
Steltwagen, who also worked in education and agriculture, said there has been interest from local restaurateurs and another from Portland. He said he wants a business that is right for the evolving neighborhood.
Phase, meanwhile, appreciates her new landlord’s thoroughness.
“We don’t want another six-month wonder,” she said. “We want someone who is going to stay and not a start-up business.”
West Plains barber to move
Darrell Ingram, a longtime barber who took over Wayne Ward’s business in a tiny shop on the outskirts of Airway Heights, is moving closer to town.
Ingram is buying the Old West Barbershop, 13416 W. Sunset Highway (near the police station), and plans to move July 1. For the past six months, Ingram has been working in the Flying Eagle Barber Shop, between Airway Heights and Fairchild Air Force Base.
The 225-square-foot one-chair shop was built in the 1930s and has become a landmark on the Highway 2 strip between Airway Heights and Fairchild Air Force Base. The building is owned by a nonlresident, and Ingram said he is unaware what will happen to it once he moves.
Ingram, originally from Spokane, said he moved back to help his elderly parents. He worked as a barber at the Puget Sound Navel Shipyard and at the Banger Submarine Base among other places over the past 26 years.
Ingram charges $9 for a regular cut and $8 for seniors, children and members of the military.