The Great Windows of Orange

 

If eyes are the windows to the soul; then shop windows are just as revealing. They reveal the soul of the shop.

~ Debra Templar, international retail consultant and business coach

 

I once volunteered as a live manikin.  Really.  My job was to sit perfectly still across from a female counterpart in the window of a prominent clothing store without moving.  It was fun.  For about the first 10 minutes.  Then, it got really, really boring.  But the passerby's loved it.  It was a window dressing strategy to get folks to stop and look at what was on display in the window eventually leading to purchases.  In reality what it did was make many of those passerby's look like idiot's trying to get us to laugh or move or throw something.

 

Window dressing done well is an art and can be a highly expensive undertaking.  Designers from Macy's, Barney's, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomindales, Sak's and many others are in highly demanding, highly paid positions involving teams of various responsibilities.  And the results are captivating.

 

The Art Center with local art, and crafts.

Which is a reason to stop and appreciate the effort and creativity of several of our retailers here in Orange. They deserve recognition.  They take down their previous effort of love, wrap things up and store them away and hopefully have the resources to create an imaginative, original and customer-captivating window.  Not really knowing if anybody notices or cares. 

 

 

 

"We come together as a group", Annette was saying, "and throw our ideas around".  When I asked about the work, she smiled and said, "It's work, a lot of work."  Lacy's shows the work that goes into their window.  Many times the window display is accented with flowers, gifts and props beautifully displayed on the sidewalk.  It's like walking through a spring garden.

 

But it evidently pays off.  "We'll have people open car doors as they slow down just to tell us how nice our displays look!  And we hear about some using our ideas for their own windows."

 

 

Nothing like flowers to accent a store fronts window.

Bradley said that ideas for the windows at Finders Keepers often come from upcoming holidays.  "For instance, we did a window for Easter featuring kid's toys and bedroom furniture.   I tried to make it look like the Easter Bunny had tiptoed in while a child was sleeping and left an abundance of gifts.  Seasonal activities can also inspire a window display, like the "Tiki Bar" window we did for July, with bamboo and wicker furniture and grass skirt decorations.  Sometimes, however, it comes down to what's in the showroom that is new or needs some "publicity". 

 

 

 

 

Street glare overcome with a 3-dimensional window dressing!

Great window displays not only promote sales but serve as a platform for good community relations.  I think Bradley summed it up best when he said, "To our customers- thank you for your wonderful compliments and support.  We enjoy hearing your comments, as it makes the work involved in creating a display a labor of love.  Keep on the lookout because our windows will change regularly, and you never know what might appear next!  Thanks for your business!"

The photographer apologizes for the less than glamorous photo's included in this article.  Glare was an insurmountable challenge.

Welcome back C.J.'s!

Re-Opening, Monday Sept. 28th

 

Remember a few months ago when we shared that we had a new restaurant in town.  Well, due to the face-lifting of Byrd Street C.J.'s took a brief sabbatical and is getting ready to open its doors.

C.J.'s Restaurant

182 Byrd St, Orange, VA 22960

540. 661.1200

11a until 9p M- Thur.  Fri & Sat. until 1p

Sunday for Brunch

CJ'S@ByrdSt on Facebook  

 

For a long while everybody referred to the building as "the old Cape Porpoise."  And it stayed vacant for much too long.  Such a nice place too; a beautiful white building with plenty of windows, easy entrance, ample parking.  Shame to be closed up.

 

Until businessman John Nagro realized the potential that was sitting there unattended.  "We want to bring a classic family style restaurant to Orange," said John, "we'll be focused on steaks and seafood, some Italian dishes and traditional meals like ribs, liver and onions and meatloaf. This will be something good for the Town of Orange, a nice family restaurant."

 

While C.J.'s may be best represented as a family restaurant the place has amazing potential for receptions, reunions, retreats and social gatherings.  There is a spacious, well-appointed dining hall with an adjoining patio for outside drinks and dining, a fully stocked bar and a piano waiting to serenade the guests.

 

But that being said, the heart and soul of a restaurant is the kitchen.  If the kitchen doesn't produce well a restaurants days are numbered.  C.J.'s has the benefit of a fabulous kitchen staff and selection of entrees and John knows good food.  "We'll be serving great American food," he told me, "fish, steaks, chicken...comfort foods you'd find at home." Besides the regular menu they'll be daily specials with a focus on seafood Friday and Saturdays.  

 

C.J.'s will be offering daily food and drink specials and John's going to designate a kids night with $2 meals for those under 10. 

 

"The road is almost completed and we'll look better than ever.  We miss our customers and hope you'll bring the whole family." 

 

Welcome back C.J.'s!

Historic Tax Credits:  

What are they and why are they important to you.

 

The rehabilitation, re-use and preservation of Virginia's historic residential and commercial buildings is good for the state's economy according to a study conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University in 2013. 

 

 

Now, you may be asking, What is a historic building?

Under the federal program, a certified historic structure is one that is either:

Under the state program, a certified historic structure is one that is:

 

With a few exceptions, a Virginia property that is listed on one of these registers is listed on the other.

 

Eligible expenses include any work to structural components of the  

Often yielding dramatic results.

building, as well as certain soft costs such as architectural and engineering fees, construction period interest and taxes, construction management costs, and reasonable developer fees. Expenses related to new heating, plumbing and electrical systems are eligible, as well as expenses related to updating kitchens and bathrooms, compliance with ADA, and fire suppression systems and fire escapes. 

 

But there are ceilings to be met.  Under the federal program, the project must be a "substantial rehabilitation" to qualify the investor for the credit. The IRS defines "substantial" as exceeding the owner's adjusted basis in the building, or $5,000, whichever is greater. The adjusted basis is generally defined as the purchase price, minus the value of the land, minus any depreciation already claimed, plus the value of any earlier capital improvements. 

 

The threshold requirements for the state program are different from the federal requirements. In order to qualify for the state credit, the rehabilitation expenses must be:

  To speak to a Dept. Of Historic Resources tax credit staff member call 804. 367.2323.

 

Credit and more information available from: http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/tax_credits/tax_credit.htm

The Orange Downtown Alliance is one of only 25 towns in the state that has met the criteria to be designated a  Main Street town by the V irginia Department of Housing and Community Development .  This is something that we all are proud and protective of.

 

Our mission statement, Making Orange a Better Place to Live, Work and Visit, reflects the spirit and energy of our many volunteers, business and property owners, sponsors and members who  work together to create a community of enjoyment and pride. Orange, as all of Virginia's Main Street Communities, is recognized for our hospitality, our locally-owned businesses, family-style eateries, small town events and unique outdoor attractions. We work hard so that every day, residents and visitors will benefit by what makes Orange special, be it our shops, restaurants or impeccable hospitality.

 

While we are one of the smaller certified Main Street towns we are certainly one of the more engaged and effective.  In the past seven years the ODA has delivered over 60 festivals and special events, organized downtown promotional activities, delivered over 70 well-read newsletters featuring dozens of businesses and public announcements, organized over a dozen workshops, assisted in beautification projects, and served as a liaison for many public inquiries and a center of support for related efforts.

 

We are able to do this only because of the financial support of the Town of Orange and your contributions.  Without your support we could not exist and much of what makes our town special will go away.  

Please support us by making a contribution toward our efforts.  Every donation is respected, appreciated and used to full advantage in making our town the great place it is.

Contributions are tax deductible and may be sent to:

ODA, P.O.B. 283, Orange, VA 22960