The spaces dedicated to retail in the Leftbank are a diverse lot. The first one to talk about is, of course, the ‘ballroom’. It was originally a family restaurant - a part of the Hazelwood Creamery operation - and built out in the high style of the roaring 20’s. A ceiling adorned with plaster relief work (lit with inspired wall sconces) was, and remains, the show stopper. The space later flipped into a bar, and then a post-war black and tan jazz landmark called The Dude Ranch. …Not to be outdone, some 30 years later Multicraft Plastics turned it into their plastics showroom. Of course it’s hard to blame them - it is the most visible space in the building. Situated on the Northwest corner, alongside Broadway, the space is hard to miss.
There are a handful of other potential retail spaces in the Leftbank, and when it’s all said and done, we’d like to see a good restaurant, a bar, cafe, perhaps a print shop and/or a bike shop. These are the things that we imagine will be of good use those of us who inhabit this place, but of course, we are open to any and all proposals for these spaces (but a tip– you’ve got to be one to add to the vision!) We’ve brought on Urban Works to handle the leasing for these spots, and they have some nice informational materials here. Or, If you’d like to take this up with them personally, contact Kathleen Healy or Andrew Usher.
