The River Street Marketplace, located at 390 River Street in Manistee, will soon be home to nine local businesses including Tap House Boutique and Nautical Nook (seen above) - both currently open - while work to complete the other spaces is well underway.

A craft shop, a café with healthful beverages and baked goods, a full-service CPA and accounting firm, a retailer of everything nautical, a hair salon/wellness boutique, a wide assortment of no-bake desserts and snacks, a spot for chemical-free facials and manicures, and an enterprise with essential oils, aromatherapy and natural shampoo. And – open now – a pop-up women’s apparel store.

It will all be coming very soon at the new River Street Marketplace in Manistee at 390 River Street overlooking the Manistee River. It’s a building just renovated and reclaimed after a year of painstaking, challenging work by Robert and Cheryl Gras, a husband-and-wife team who are enthused about their Manistee investment. Venture North Funding and Development provided capital for a “finishing touch” in the form of the building’s façade – an awning/sign combination. Funding for Venture North’s loan was provided by the Manistee Downtown Development Authority through a grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development.

“It’s a great business concept,” said Steve Brower, Business Development Manger for Venture North. “They’re developing a ‘mini-mall’ in the heart of downtown on River Street overlooking the Manistee River Channel. Their building is fostering a network of new entrepreneurial business, a great addition to the community. It’s a concept that is bound to help small businesses grow and prosper.”

Although Robert sustained serious injuries in an accident years ago, his condition has not prevented him from partnering with his spouse, Cheryl, to repurpose the 16,000 square-foot, concrete-constructed building.

“The restoration of the building has been an ongoing discovery,” said Robert. “We uncovered things like a power panel simply identified as ‘Joes’ and plumbing and electrical challenges winding through the concrete structure that had to be resolved We are fortunate to have wonderfully skilled people in Manistee who could help us with renovations. We want the River Street Marketplace to have a big role in lifting the city toward new heights of prosperity.”

“The character and intentions of our clients have a big influence on our lending decisions,” Brower said. “For Cheryl, a suite in the building is helping fulfill her entrepreneurial dream even as she continues in her position with the Kaleva-Dickson-Norman Public Schools. And Robert is a talented musician and music teacher who is actively writing and producing music while pouring full-time energy into the River Street Marketplace.”

Robert and Cheryl are enthused about leveraging their building to support new jobs and businesses that will support the Manistee community.

One such business – a pop-up women’s clothing store owned by Martha Davis, owner of the Tap House Boutique in Grand Ledge, Michigan. It will have women’s apparel of all sizes as well as distinctive jewelry.

“We believe this pop-up will fill an important gap downtown driven by a business owner with years of experience in the women’s apparel business,” said Cheryl. “This will be a big hit beginning July 4 and, hopefully, become a permanent asset for downtown.”

Like most entrepreneurs, the Gras team dreams about their future and that of the Manistee community.

“Who knows?” asks Robert. “Perhaps another story on the building might make sense in the future? Much needed housing? How about a music store? The opportunities in Manistee are great!”

“In addition to supporting a terrific business at an ideal location, this also offers the opportunity to help small businesses grow with our services, both affordable capital and no-cost business development consulting,” said Laura Galbraith, President of Venture North. “As with the Marketplace, we too want to be part of Manistee’s prosperity.”

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