By June Mathews
West Homewood is experiencing a revival, and business owners looking for an up-and-coming neighborhood are taking note.
Whether by renovating existing space, tearing down old structures and building new ones, relocating to the area or within the area, or just applying a fresh coat of paint and planting a few flowers, businesses in West Homewood are creating a lively, family-friendly atmosphere of commerce and community, attracting other businesses – and the people who patronize them – to the area.
Here are some newcomers who have discovered West Homewood is the place to be.
Triple Play
Within a year, Meg and Armand Margjeka brought three stores with three different concepts into one West Homewood location, at 186 Oxmoor Road.
Buka, a neighborhood wine shop, market and takeaway café, opened April 2021; Daily Edition, a coffee shop, followed in February 2022; then the owners opened of Etc.., a jewelry, accessories and clothing store in April 2022. Etc… also has locations in Mountain Brook Village and Aspen, Colorado.
“We were excited to create a destination of three businesses that would feed the local needs of the growing neighborhood and community,” Meg Margjeka. “With so many families living and moving here, it made sense to tap into what was missing for this demographic – a place to walk with your kids to grab a local coffee and pastry, pick up sandwiches before the soccer game down the street, don’t forget the bottle of wine for dinner later, and find a gift for your partner or something fun for your wardrobe.”
Armand designed all the interiors, Margjeka said.
“Our hope,” she said, “is that it has given people in this neighborhood a reason to get out of the house yet stay local.”
The Margjekas are excited to see the West Homewood community expanding as more and more young families move into the area. They are also thrilled to be a part of bringing something new to the mix.
“But,” Margjeka said, “feeding this immediate community is our priority and it is crucial that the local community continues to support local businesses like ours. That’s what will keep us all here.”
Tricia’s Younger Sister
“Coming to West Homewood was not really a strategic move on our part,” said Matt Monroe of Iron Lotus Interiors and its sister store, Tricia’s Treasures. “We bought out a large estate down in Pensacola, needed somewhere to put it, and our commercial real estate agent found the best warehouse for us in West Homewood.
“So we moved in, had several sales and sold a lot of merchandise. Since we had another 2½ years on our lease, we decided to commercialize the place and create something different from Tricia’s Treasures, our flagship store.”
With the help of artist Corrie Hayes, Monroe turned the warehouse into an elegant space with five vignettes to show off the merchandise and began to build sourcing for new furniture to go along with the antiques, rugs and lighting.
“Our desire was to give our current customers of Tricia’s Treasures more options and to show them how things look in a blended environment with assets we already had,” Monroe said. “By then, we knew West Homewood was on the rise.”
Monroe attributes the changing landscape of West Homewood to its room for growth, which is in short supply in other areas of Homewood, and to its proximity to Interstate 65.
“We think it’s going to be a long-term success for us,” he said. “It’s not blazing yet, but everyone who comes here loves it. So we’re spending some advertising dollars and putting some resources behind growing it because we definitely believe it’s got potential.”
Visit Iron Lotus Interiors at 238 West Valley Ave. Homewood. Hours are limited. Call 205-852-1584 or 205-527-4068 for more information.
New Mixed-Use Development
A big West Homewood project sparking interest throughout the area is an upscale mixed-use development slated for 195 Oxmoor Road, just off I-65 South.
According to Tom Walker, president of Village Creek Development, plans call for 10,000 square feet of commercial space with 18 rental lofts above it, and 48 rental townhomes behind it. Each townhouse is approximately 1,600 square feet in size and has its own 300-square-foot garage.
The lofts feature Juliet balconies with views of the neighborhood. The lofts and townhouses will have access to off-street parking.
The commercial space will include second locations for two downtown restaurants, El Barrio and Paramount. In between will be an entertainment area with vintage and new arcade games, as well as a private event space.
A family-friendly green space behind the restaurants will provide an area for outdoor dining, games and other activities.
“The West Homewood project is a great example of what’s to come from the Village Creek Development team,” said Walker. “We seek out projects requiring a creative vision that bring value to both our investors and the communities where we engage.”
Not only has the project brought about the demolition of a dilapidated hotel that had become a magnet for crime and other unsavory activity, its creators predict it will mark the beginning of a vibrant new era for the area.
The development is withing walking distance of neighborhood restaurants and retailers, Hall Kent Elementary and Patriot Park.
