Used to be a group (probably only in small towns) that knocked on the front door after the moving van or U-Haul pulled away. They were the Welcome Wagon. Smiling folks who delivered a howdy-do and a basket of muffins or some-such, along with some store coupons and special offers. Welcome to our town! (In small communities everyone knows when someone has moved in from places afar – and not from just across town.)

We need a Welcome Wagon for the Rose District.

The new neighbor has hung out his shingle (that’s what they said back in the day when a business painted their name on a board and displayed it outdoors…). I have to admit, I’m a tad envious. There’s nothing like exterior signage to bring attention to an area. Heck, I’ll be excited to see what it looks like when they throw the switch to light it up.

I rolled up Main this morning right after the cloud cover moved in overhead and spotted the outstretched crane from a half-mile away. They’ve been setting the new street lamps in the Rose District and I figured that was the crane-project.

Turns out, it was the Bruhouse Grill.

So far, I’m not aware of a projected opening date for them, but I know they’ve been busy across the street doing interior renovation. The curtains were pulled back the other evening when I was strolling down the sidewalk and I was able to glance in (would have poked my face up to the glass but there were folks working inside). Big changes to the floor plan from how it appeared as Dooley’s.

Impressive.

Things are truly shaping up here in the Rose District. While the construction is tough on business right now, at the rate the crews are moving it won’t be too long before the store-front parking is restored. They are close to completing the block from Commercial to Dallas; the east side in particular is very close and the installation of lighting may be enough to finish up the construction part. Landscaping is next – but that shouldn’t deter shoppers and diners.

I have an appreciation for tradespeople and who know their stuff. Sometimes it’s a little scary to watch. Saw a fellow using a very large commercial circular saw to cut a series of boards. He was using his thigh as a saw horse. I watched for a couple of minutes, thinking all the while, “Accidents happen.”

Then it occurred to me that accidents happen to people like me when we try to do something like that. My brother-in-law was an expert carpenter and as he was cutting wood for my backyard deck, he wielded his saw like a butter knife, completely comfortable with the power tools. Experience is easy to recognize.

This afternoon, bricklayers are working on the landscaping planter that is located directly in front of the book store. They allowed me a photo while they worked – I want to be able to remember what it looked like (as it is today) when the renovation is completed.

Cloud cover made the picture a little dark, but the Bruhouse sign images also show the new street lamps. There are two types and I imagine the reason for that will become apparent once it grows dark and they turn them on. (After such a length of time operating in the dark down here it will be exciting to have street lights again.)

The talk lately ‘round here is the pushing back of the completion date. I’m not sure the vote by the civic body will have any bearing on how long the construction actually takes. It might make it official, or give the contractor a target to shoot for. Personally, I’m shooting for As Soon As Possible. (Which is probably what everyone is after…)

They’re saying mid-November for the street part. December for the whole sha-bang. That doesn’t mean it will be that long for the primary shopping and parking areas. The work in front of the shop here should be wrapping up in a couple of weeks. That doesn’t mean we’re closed along this part of Main. We unlock our doors every morning, sweep the dust from the sidewalk (it returns quickly, but hey! There’s less of it when we start fresh each day!), we turn on the OPEN signs and keep an eye out for shoppers and guests.

Come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main Street, Broken Arrow OK!