
What's Going On?
Like you, I’ve been waiting and waiting to find out what was going to be going into the old Van Alstyne History Museum location at 267 E. Jefferson Street. There were no updates made during the City Council Meetings. So, I asked the City Manager & Mayor after the August 13th meeting.
There were two presentations made during the City Council Meetings in January 2024. Kimber Creek made a presentation sharing their vision and business plan for opening a Gift Store & Wine Bar. Cooley Bay Winery made a presentation sharing their speakeasy style wine bar vision and business plan. I was very surprised to hear that Kimber Creek and Cooley Bay Winery both decided to not purchase the property.
Still Available for Sale
Good News, the city is still wanting to sell this property! This row style building is about 2,500 square feet and the City Manager said that they will be putting on a new roof on the building soon. So, if you are looking to start a business or wanting move an existing business to downtown, give the City Manager a call at (903) 482-5426 to discuss the property. You will need to present your vision and business plan to be considered to purchase the building. The city is looking for a business that would bring people to our historic downtown. They do not want to sell to someone who wants to use it for office space.
Some Additional History of the Building
The building was know as the “Ross Building”. On June 18, 1973, Robert E. B. Fielder presented title to the building at 267 E. Jefferson Street to the Van Alstyne Mayor, D. E. Billups. Robert E. B. Fielder wanted to ensure that the library and museum would be able to operate in the building without being in a financial bind. The Fielders were the first to make a sizable donation to the library and the museum. The library opened 1st and the museum hoped to be open for the Van Alstyne Centennial Celebration in July of 1973. The library outgrew their space in the building and moved. The museum continued to operate in the building until November 2023.
To read more about the previous presentations & information go to: https://livinginvanalstyne.com/2024/02/02/whats-happening-to-267-e-jefferson-st/
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