Menu
ABC permit allows Greens to continue investment in downtown Greencastle
Armed with one of the unique downtown alcoholic beverage permits, Joyce Green is planning to continue her family’s multi-million-dollar investment in downtown Greencastle.
Beginning with turning the old Goodwill building into the Music on the Square building that Joyce Green and her late husband Judson bought and renovated for DePauw University, the Greens have sunk $12 million into the downtown, their attorney, Gregory T. Genrich of Bradford & Riley told the Greencastle City Council at its January meeting.
With Bridges Craft Pizza and Wine Bar, Breadworks and Taphouse Burgers already in place in the downtown, plans for the latest venture are for The Wine Merchant business in the historic 2 W. Washington St. location that housed Eli Lilly’s first pharmacy (aka the old Fleenor's Drugstore) at the southwest corner of Washington and Indiana streets.
To do so, one of the three-way Greencastle Downtown Alcoholic Beverage Permits was assigned to the Bridges operation following Dec. 28 action by the Greencastle Downtown Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee and approval of that recommendation through City Council passsage of Resolution 2022-1. The current Bridges liquor license, one of the state licenses assigned to Putnam County, was acquired via auction before the business was established. That state license is being transferred to The Wine Merchant.
Following a state licensing hearing, The Wine Merchant -- featuring automated pouring stations to allow visitors to get tastes of several wines, a la the Tastings wine bar inside The Conrad hotel in downtown Indianapolis -- could open as early as March, Genrich told the Banner Graphic following the meeting at City Hall.
Using a card system, visitors will be able to sample more than 100 different wines via a taste or purchase of up to a glass of wine “kept in a pristine state” inside four tasting machines, Genrich said.
The facility, representing an investment of $250,000 to $300,000, Genrich said, will have 30 seats and employ four to six people.
The Wine Merchant was a Judson Green vision to host special events and bring in unique wines available for purchase, Genrich said, but because of Green’s illness and subsequent death last year, the project took longer to evolve.
The Greens’ vision for downtown Greencastle, Genrich said, has been “to offer a unique experience for residents of Greencastle as well as visitors.”
The rebirth of the downtown, especially as a dining destination, is a byproduct of the $19 million Stellar Grant that helped renovate storefronts, among other things. During discussion of how the downtown would be marketed in that aftermath, it was learned that a lack of ABC permits could hinder that development.
That’s when then-Mayor Sue Murray discovered legislation written for the city of Valparaiso that allowed the issuance of 10 new permits to sell alcoholic beverages in an historic area that included a unique downtown make-up of a courthouse, opera house and jail.
“Valpo got this done by the State Legislature because the legislature didn’t think there would be anybody else ever qualify for it,” Councilman Dave Murray said.
The unique qualities of the district, which still has seven Greencastle ABC permits remaining after the Bridges approval, worry Councilman Adam Cohen, particularly because of the status of the privately owned old jail.
“I have no idea what happens if the jail comes down,” Cohen said. “The courthouse isn’t going anywhere. The opera house isn’t going anywhere. But the old jail is not in good shape. With what’s at stake, we have to figure it out. The restaurant/bar business is a huge part of our downtown.”
Council President Mark Hammer noted that businesses in place would likely be grandfathered in, even if the old jail was razed. “Those should be fine,” he said. “We’d probably lose the unissued one (permits).”
What’s frustrating, Cohen said, is that the city tried to acquire the old jail site in the past but was unsuccessful.
“We made an offer on the jail,” City Attorney Laurie Hardwick said, “but by statute we can only offer the average of two appraisals and the property owner wanted almost double that.”
Murray made the motion to pass resolution 2022-1 for the Bridges downtown permit, which was unanimously approved.
“At some point we’ve got to discuss how to protect this great thing we’ve got,” Cohen said prior to the vote.
Following the vote, Council President Hammer added, “We don’t want to forget what Adam brought up here.”
Meanwhile, in other business related to the downtown, the Council unanimously approved Resolution 2022-2 in support of Main Street Greencastle.
Main Street Executive Director Mike Richmond explained the reasoning for the formal pledge of support by the Council.
“Why now after 40 years?” he asked.
It is because the state Main Street organization is creating a three-tiered system developed by the national organization.
Although Main Street, Greencastle was founded in 1983 as one of the first three Indiana Main Street organizations -- with Mayor Bill Dory as its first director -- the local group currently has been placed in the bottom tier and is applying to become an Indiana Accredited Main Street program.
While Greencastle is in that lowest tier, Richmond said, plans are to apply for the middle tier initially since the local ranking can affect some resources and the ability for Main Street Greencastle to acquire certain grants.
With Main Street at least partially responsible for creating a “unique atmosphere highlighted by local musicians, artists and chefs,” organizers plan to apply for the middle tier and then apply for national accreditation.