It always seemed a little strange a liquor store named Stop Lite was perched in one of the nation’s top urban parks at a location without a stop light. The unassuming building sitting in Waterfront Park is now vacant and a reminder of how much the area has changed from industrial wasteland to green parkland in a matter of years.
The familiar Stop Lite Liquors located on the eastern edge of Waterfront Park opened today in their new location across the street. Owners Carl & Jesse Bollinger built the new store at 1342 River Road and updated the official name of the business to StopLite Wine & Spirits, marking a sort of mini-gentrification brought on by the park. There’s also an expanded emphasis on Stop Lite’s Cafe operations. The Bollingers want their business to be a place where someone might grab a hot sandwich or hot dog and enjoy eating in the park.
Another benefit of the new building is provision for a second retail outlet. What otherwise could have been a stand-alone business now is looking to add to the vibrancy of the park. 2,250 square feet are available for lease directly facing the Waterfront Park. We’re hoping it’s filled with a business park-goers could find useful.
The land underneath the old store has already been exchanged with the Waterfront Development Corporation, and David Karem, president of the WDC, noted in his Op-Ed over the weekend that demolition is imminent on the old building. The site will likely be converted to a grassy playing field for the time being, and with much of Phase III set to open next year, a continuous green park will stretch from downtown to near the foot of Frankfort Avenue in no time.
- Making a Park Fit For Honest Abe (C-J Op-Ed)
- Wasteland No More: The Greening Of Waterfront Park (Phase III) (Broken Sidewalk)
