Downtown building being transformed

Batesville is not so quiet these days as it nears completion of the multimillion dollar redo of East Pearl Street and the renovation of one of Batesville’s oldest buildings constructed by the Greeman Brothers in 1875. This building was first used by Greeman Brothers Manufacturing, which was later merged into what was to become RomWeber Furniture Co.

“Today it is being transformed into the RomWeber Marketplace, a unique shopping place for Tri-state residents,” said spokesperson Kate Rippe.

As national shopping malls and small towns alike battle retail bankruptcies and declining traffic, the small independent retailer faces the challenge of finding affordable space and a new model. A growing trend in the United States is marketplace retailing, a concept that offers small retailers a relatively low overhead structure coupled with a steady flow of bargain hunters. This concept provides retailers the opportunity to re-invent themselves, addressing a growing market now estimated nationally at $20 billion annually.

An example of this form of retailing can be found in the RomWeber Marketplace named after RomWeber, a leader in the home furnishings market for over 130 years.

The site at 4 S. Park Ave. will ultimately house 400 dealers with a distinctive assortment of antiques, surplus merchandise and packaged food, all in a family-friendly environment. It is characterized by the factories’ original hardwood floors, brick walls, hand-hewed post-and-beam construction with first cut timber and plenty of natural daylight from windows. Visitors from surrounding metropolitan areas will find a touch of the past with a taste of small town charm.

Park Avenue Realty’s managing partner, Bruce Rippe, developer of RomWeber Marketplace, commented, “Having the opportunity to renovate a historic site such as the RomWeber Furniture facility into a 180,000-square-foot marketplace will provide a very interesting and compelling shopping place for its customers, provide jobs and increased tourism in Batesville.”

RomWeber Marketplace is centrally located between Indianapolis and Cincinnati 3 minutes off I-74. Its hours of operation will be Friday-Sunday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The grand opening is planned for April 9.

For more information, persons may call 932-2600 or go to the Web site wwwromwebermarketplace.com.

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