Public market rebounds along with economy

By DAVID GUNTER

Feature correspondent

SANDPOINT — In many ways, the Cedar Street Bridge Public Market has acted as a barometer for the local economy.

When it first opened in 1983, the place was buzzing with activity. Inspired by the travels of original owner Scott Glickenhaus, the space was an architectural nod to Italy’s Ponte Vecchio, which vaults over the Arno River at the place of an ancient Roman crossing in Florence.

Shops of all persuasions thrived in the town’s first indoor public shopping space as cart vendors added to the upbeat vibe with an assortment of jewelry, clothing, baskets and foodstuffs. An upscale restaurant offered top-level views of Schweitzer and Sand Creek and live music brought a funky urban feel to the cobblestone walk on the main floor.

By the mid-1980s, a downward economic spiral turned everything on its ear, as carts stood empty and one shop after another fell prey to hard times. Fortunately — and somewhat concurrently — the fates of a Sandpoint-based women’s clothing company were on the decided upswing and, over the course of several years, Coldwater Creek expanded from one storefront on bridge to encompass both floors of the entire 16,000 square feet of retail space spanning the creek.

Move the dial up to 2005, when Sandpoint real estate specialists Jeff Bond and John Gillham formed a partnership to purchase the unique property. One factor in that decision was having a successful national retail tenant filling all available slots. That changed when the retailer announced it was moving across the street to build a flagship store in First Avenue’s historic Bernd Building.

The ensuing mash up of misfortune — a winter flood robbed the place of its Christmas season not long after it reopened in 2007, followed by a global recession that began the following year — left the public market all but empty.

How things have changed in 10 years. These days, Jeff and Cindy Bond are at the helm of a property that is again filling up with shops and, after weathering the aforementioned ups and downs, generating positive downtown buzz.

“The economy has gotten better and our vendors are doing well,” Jeff Bond said. “And when vendors start doing well, other vendors are attracted.”

For residents who recall the first incarnation of the market, today’s Cedar Street Bridge might bear the closest resemblance to those heady times.

“Scott’s original idea was great — it was a going concern when he had it,” Jeff said. “We’re trying to go that way again.”

The market’s proximity to the Sand Creek Bypass has proven to be a draw for traffic to hit the Sandpoint off-ramp and explore downtown, with the bridge becoming a shopping destination in the process.

“The bypass has really helped,” Cindy Bond said, “because a lot of people didn’t know it was here.”

“The bypass is our billboard,” Jeff added.

In the not-too-distant past, some tenants wondered aloud if the lack of a First Avenue doorway to their shop might be a deterrent to foot traffic. According to the owners, the opposite is proving true. Air-conditioned in the summer, warm and toasty in the colder months, the indoor gathering place defies the vagaries of seasonal weather.

“On a hot day, it’s a nice place to come,” Cindy said. “And on a cold or rainy day, it’s a nice place to be.

“They may not have a storefront right on the street,” she added, “but what they do have is people pouring in to walk through and look at all the shops.”

“One of the things we’ve learned is that, a lot of times, there are probably more people walking through the bridge than walking around downtown,” Jeff said.

The traffic equation hasn’t been lost on successful tenants, some of which have gone into the expansion mode to make the most of the bridge’s revived popularity. The Cedar Street Bistro is now the Cedar Street Bistro & Wine Bar, having added to its restaurant and coffee shop space near the entrance to accommodate the new offerings. Tying back to the early days of the place, the wine bar’s convivial feel now offers a place to gather for a glass of wine and enjoy live music.

Also expanding are the owners of Creations — a family oriented, interactive art space on the other end of the span. Based on their positive experience there, they also acquired the Carousel Emporium women’s clothing boutique on the second floor.

“That’s a testament to how this works,” said Jeff. “We’ve allowed our vendors to grow organically and now they’re making money and putting some of the profits into expansion.”

The bypass might be responsible for catching the eye of passing motorists, but it’s what’s going on inside the bridge that has renewed the interest of locals who encounter the space from the other side — that of the First Avenue main entrance. In fact, local awareness had waned over time, but the advent of both Creations and the bistro swung the pendulum the other way.

“It was like that before, but the Cedar Street Bistro has changed all that and given people a place to hang out — and now their wine bar is becoming popular, too,” Jeff said. “And the amount of traffic that comes in because of Creations is amazing.”

Naturally, those retail magnets tend to benefit all of the merchants, which include MeadowBrook Home & Gift, Kyoko Sushi and The Huckleberry Depot. Add to those the cart merchants and the current occupancy rate has climbed to 62 percent, the owners said. At present, the only vacancies of note are located upstairs — a situation that could change soon, Jeff Bond hinted, due to interest from prospective vendors.

“It’s been a long haul and we’re fortunate to have made it through the down times,” he said. “My prediction is that, by next year, we’ll have the bridge filled with tenants.”

One reason — beyond a rebounding economy — for the recent success on the bridge has been the way in which the Bonds vet new tenants. Having learned the hard way that no one wins when shops come and go in short order, the bar has been raised so that prospects need to arrive with both a solid business plan and a retail concept with legs.

“You don’t just open a shop — you have to create a reason for people to want to be here,” said Cindy. “We want our vendors to be successful, because that’s what keeps things going forward.”

But when it comes to the Cedar Street Bridge, success seems to come in a blend of the actual and the atmospheric. Certainly, traffic numbers, sales figures and climbing occupancy rates tell a big portion of the story. Along with that, however, is the less tangible element of how the place makes you feel. For the Bonds, that feeling harks back to the historic bridge that sparked Glickenhaus’ seminal concept. They, too, are lovers of the Ponte Vecchio and boating up Sand Creek on a summer’s evening pulls them back there.

“There’s nothing like it when the bridge is all lit up, people are walking up and down the boardwalk, you hear the sound of their voices and live music in the background — it’s very European,” Cindy said. “You feel like you’re in Venice.”

Or Florence. Or, just maybe, Sandpoint. All of them fairly magical places, at that.

For more history on the Cedar Street Bridge Public Market, as well as a complete list of vendors, visit online at: www.cedarstreetbridge.com