COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The City of Coldwater and the Branch County Economic Growth Alliance announced Thursday that the three story buildings at 41 and 47 West Chicago Street in downtown Coldwater will undergo a major renovation over the next couple of years, with plans for the buildings to become a new wine and retail business that will be known as the “Purple Orchid”.
Local residents Valorie Johnson and Dave Neitzert are planning to open the business in 2021. The buildings used to be the home of Hadfield Computers and Jalisco’s Grocery.
Officials say the “Purple Orchid” will be a place where people can gather and enjoy drinks while shopping or engaging in other activities.
Neitzert says “it’s going to be different than what Coldwater is used to” and will feature their own “twist of style and class.”
Façade restoration plans were approved earlier this year by the Coldwater Historic District Commission, which will earn the project a rebate from the Downtown Development Authority’s building improvement program.
Other incentives will come from the Southern Michigan Bank and Trust and Century Bank and Trust Low Interest Loan Pool, as well as a tax abatement and partial reimbursement of the fire suppression tap installation from the City of Coldwater.
Lisa Miller of the Branch County Economic Growth Alliance said this is a very exciting project, and that Johnson and Neitzert’s vision should be applauded.
Johnson owns Pure Envee and DWV Properties. She and Neitzert are both long-time residents of Branch County. Neitzert is a licensed contractor.
It maybe a couple of years before it opens, but Johnson and Neitzert say the Purple Orchid will “definitely be worth the wait.”
