The former Glass House Collective building that was renovated.Members of the Glass Street community this week celebrated a resurrection of sorts.
Local businesswoman Michele Peterson moved into a water-damaged building with a collapsed floor and leaking roof and restored it to its former glory. Then she used the building to teach youth to become entrepreneurs.
"Michele has such a knack at seeing a need and creating a vision around it, and when she does she goes at it all the way," Cyndy Schmidt said.
Schmidt was one of hundreds of people celebrating the open house for Archway on Glass on Wednesday.
The building became the epicenter of the neighborhood's restoration efforts when the founders of Glass House Collective moved in back in 2012. Then the floor collapsed at a Christmas party in December 2014 and the building remained closed until July 2015, when Peterson bought it for $25,000. She faced more than $60,000 in repairs because of the floor, as well as significant water damage.
Area residents wondered what would become of their efforts to bring business to the neighborhood and reduce crime.
Then Peterson started her marketing classes for youth in May 2016. She started with about 13 young people between ages 14 and 18, known as Archway Kids, and gave them hands-on training in marketing products such as coffee and doughnuts.
Sixteen-year-old Amari Johnson said he plans to gain the skills to own multiple businesses.
"I'm an Archway Kid, so Michele and I talk business, marketing and learning new strategies on how to get ourselves up and how to pull in more people to get more profit," he said.
Eight months after she moved into Archway on Glass, Peterson hosted an open house showing off improvements to the site and announcing the upstairs part of the building will be her new office where she conducts business for REMI Home Elevators. Peterson also owns the Urban Lawn on Main Street, an event space.
"The entrance is awesome, breathtaking," said retired public school teacher Larry Majors, pointing to the arched doors surrounded by glass. It was his first time visiting the building.
Just five years ago, Glass House Collective officials noted that more empty buildings existed on Glass Street than anything else. But since then, eight businesses or nonprofit organizations have moved there, while public and private investors have spent $1.3 million for sidewalks, bus shelters and street lights.
Mark Making owner Francis McDonald gave tours of some of the new nonprofit businesses in the area during the open house.
"We're here to make a difference in people's lives," said McDonald, who moved Mark Making to Glass Street in 2014.
Peterson shares her sentiment.
Archway isn't an attempt to make money, she said, but a vehicle for serving a need while making a long-term investment.
"I don't have binoculars," Peterson said. "I have a telescope, and eventually I feel like with good people, good things happen."
Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.