Avondale reinvented

Helen Smith takes her last sip of coffee and starts to dart out the door of Alchemy Coffee in Avondale Point.

Overhearing the conversation about the West Ashley business district's proposed changes, she stops to say, "I love this area. I really want to stay here. It's unique, and it's not full of chains. It's more homey than Mount Pleasant."

Smith's roommate is about to get married, and Smith has to find another place to live. "I've lived on James Island and downtown," the schoolteacher said. "This will be my first choice."

Merchants and business owners in Avondale Point want others to know what their shops along busy Savannah Highway have to offer, as well, so they are retooling their efforts.

As a first step, they unveiled a copper sign Tuesday at the juncture of Magnolia Road and Savannah Highway that reads, "The Shops of Avondale Point. Recycled. Reinvented. Renewed."

As part of the renewal, the 40 or so shopkeepers in Avondale Point also launched a mural contest for the south-facing side of the tower over the Children's Cancer Society Thrift Store. The winning design will be announced Sept. 2.

The reinvention of Avondale as a shopping destination also includes a block-long makeover of Savannah Highway between Magnolia and Daniel streets. The city- and grant-funded $650,000 project includes improved crosswalks and a raised median with palmetto trees and low shrubbery. It's awaiting final approval from the state Department of Transportation.

"People can cross the street to the median and not have to worry about getting hit by a car," said Christopher Morgan, director of Charleston's planning and neighborhoods division.

That can't happen soon enough, said Alchemy Coffee owner Janie Mallard, one of the many shopkeepers in the area.

"We are really excited about the city putting some money, time and effort behind Avondale," Mallard said. "There are a lot of small(-business) owners here who are struggling to make it. We are trying to turn coffee into money. You can eat, shop and get your hair done right here."

Other merchants echoed her elation with what's happening.

"They are making a theme that this area is refurbished because it's been run-down for so long," Consigning Women owner Ann Gadsden said. "We have been here 15 years, and it's changed for the better. There's a better retail mix and more restaurants."

The area also is trying to organize a business association, Triangle Char & Bar general manager Michael Lotz said.

"We are trying to get our own identity to gel as our own little business district," he said. "This is kind of a one-stop shop. You can come to shop, eat, drink and have fun."

It's very eclectic, said Geoff Richardson, owner of Lava Salon on Savannah Highway.

"We were the black sheep Rainbow Row of Charleston, but we have been fortunate to maintain a unique identity here," he said.

"It's really coming together as a community," Bungalow Home decor and gift shop owner Patrick Giel said.

Most of the shops are occupied, but Donna Jacobs, who has lived near Avondale for 25 years, remembers when the area was depressed and devoid of the current excitement.

"It's a commitment by a lot of store owners to really make it fun and make it a nice village concept," she said.

Of the sign unveiling, Mallard added with a chuckle, "It's a sign. It's a sign that Avondale is coming to life."