By Dave Faries
dfaries@record-bee.com @beedavefaries on Twitter
You know something? It’s nice to think of things in the future tense.
The notion occurred to me over the weekend, when I spotted a crew clamoring over the vacant building that once housed Bigg’s 155 Diner at Library Park in Lakeport. They were applying a fresh coat of paint in advance of … well, one of the men mentioned new owners, but added he did not know just what they had in mind for the place.
I’m hoping for a single malt scotch bar with a rooftop cigar lounge.
OK, so a cigar place might not be a top priority for Lake County. But the space is far too compact for the Costco, Target or Super Wal-Mart with trained and proficient check out clerks we desperately need to replace Lakeport’s tired Kmart. I’ve already lost a month’s worth of my life waiting in line there.
For a rural county we are fairly well stocked, mind you. Apart from passing time at the lake or at one of the area’s many events, It’s possible to find good restaurants, listen to live music, set out for a night of theater, catch first run Hollywood films, watch race cars tear around in circles, try out locally brewed beer and sample plenty of wine. So what do we really need?
Well, like I said …
Putting aside such matters as risk, market size, supply, demand and the other factors tugging against small American downtowns, consider for a moment the possibilities. What would you like to see in place of the empty storefronts (or the stagnant big box stores) in the county?
If I can’t have my cigar lounge, a little kitchen shucking oysters and frying up clams New England style might work as a substitute. If not that, perhaps a restaurant dedicated to prime steaks, served very, very rare. Or maybe a French bistro with tables spilling out to the sidewalk, one that lists a menu of the finest cheeses.
Yeah, it’s possible there are other options besides food, drink and leisurely outings. Some people might wish someone would open a massive arcade somewhere in the county, full of noise and lights and games. On the other end of the spectrum, how about an antiquarian bookstore, shelves lined with first editions? Given the lake and open land, a Cabela’s outlet seems a fit, perhaps along Highway 20. And I’m just considering the retail or amusement side of things. I guess goods and services come to mind, as well.
All this anticipation from one tiny storefront.
This week the Lake County Chamber of Commerce hosts a ribbon cutting and grand opening for a pizza joint in Lucerne. Next week plans for the new equestrian facility at Westside Park in Lakeport will be advanced. As temperatures climb, the folks at Hoberg’s will open their gates for a second season of summer concerts. And there might be more.
Even the slightest activity is cause for excitement, for it suggests a county and a business sector looking for opportunities, willing to take chances, despite the damage caused by recession, drought and the general decline of small town America.
Like I said, it’s nice to think in the future tense. But now I’m afraid to call around to learn just what is going into the Bigg’s space. I’d be horribly disappointed if the new owners ditch my idea for a fully stocked humidor and go with a Dr. Scholl’s outlet.
