For you: A Free Movie Pass

Would you turn down an invitation to a free movie? You would if it was terrible? Well, how about if it is only 1.5 minutes long?

The folks downstairs turned the SketchUp file into a movie. You'll be hooked from the start. It begins as if you are walking down the sidewalk, across the street from 308westmain. You find yourself compelled to cross and enter the building. Upon entering you find open, people friendly space. Warm light cascades from a window on your left. A mezzanine invites you so you head toward the stairs. Or is it the beautiful woman above that you find yourself drawn to? What will happen as you approach?

Ok, you spent longer than 2 minutes reading this. Just watch the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MppHPCgiAY0

It'll be even better live.

Marketing Weekend

Contracts are signed. Renovation begins on Monday. More on that tomorrow......

The first floor of 308westmain is officially for lease. We kicked off this event by once again taking advantage of Durham Art Walk.

This weekend brought the streets of Durham more life with Art Walk '09. Remember that the fall Art Walk was the event where local youth were invited to paint the storefront construction facade. It was very cool. But repeating that would have seen unoriginal.

So this weekend I incorporated the help of a real artist. Kimberly painted an invitation to vote what the space should become. Then folks started stopping by. And stopping by. And stopping by. I met Europeans here as grad students, local residents excited by the changes, parents, kids, lawyers, council members, renovation specialists, and architects. So many interesting people. Really. And all of them were passionate about how a downtown should be reborn. Here's what we heard about my space:

1. an overwhelming response for a cafe/coffee shoppe.
2. a community grocery/corner market. The number of responses for this surprised me. So did the number of people that knew about Central Market opening but still requesting a market on a smaller scale. Interesting.
3. Retail space......especially of the boutique variety
4. a bar or club
5. gallery space, often coupled with cafe or coffee
6. small bookstore, magazine shop and cafe/coffee (seeing a trend....coffee goes with every request)
7. yoga/day spa
8. bicycle shop and coffee bar. This one interested me because the couple that discussed it had historical bikes and had a friend that was a repair "artist"
   
9. and one each response for boxing ring, Dollar Store, English Smoking Club, an occult shop and a combination martini bar/shoe shop

This really was one of my favorite weekends in Durham. The people made it special. May the space lease to someone who shares the dream of community.

And now to bed to get some rest for a great week.