The plan for Stomping Ground has been in the works for nearly 6 years. In 2014 I found a space I wanted to rent as a store front and print shop. I had several conversations with the landlord and started to move forward on the lease and for so many reasons, it just fell through. Even thought I drove by that space daily and mourned the loss of possibility, my outlook all changed in late 2014 when I found out I was pregnant. Now I decided, was not the time to open a new store front and print shop with my first baby on the way, so I reeled back on my plans and as things would have it, that decision to wait was the best I could have made.
Picture by Robert Sheer / Indy Star
In 2016 at a Windsor Park Neighborhood Association Meeting, Tom Battista came and pitched the idea of Kan-Kan Cinema (then they were calling it Windsor Park Arts Cinema) to the neighborhood. They had acquired the 100 year old church at the end of my street as well as 4 adjacent houses and planned to open and art house cinema, Amelia’s Bakery and have a few small retail shops. Two days later I met with Tom and committed to one of the retail spaces. My plan, to move my print studio out of my house, and have a small boutique where going to happen and right in my own neighborhood! I was so excited! Oh but how things dragged on and on. First we had to fight over a several month period for the re-zoning as a small group of neighbors opposed us at every turn. And then, unfortunately, the development plan to reuse the church proved to be too costly due to severe foundation deterioration, and so we had to go back to the zoning board and advocate again for allowing them to tear down the church and build a new building. The same group of neighbors fought tooth and nail against the planned development. You can read about that here if you’d like. On December 5, 2018, I wrote this in a Facebook post a year after our first and second win at the Zoning Board:
I can’t believe this was a year ago. We did gain the favor of the zoning board that day, and then we had to do it all again this fall. Now, things are finally moving and shaking. Like today, things are literally shaking my dear 115 year old house, as they are out there drilling holes into the ground prepping for building the theater and restaurant.
It’s been a year of dreaming and of growing, and practicing patience. Stomping Ground, as I currently plan to name my little boutique - will also house my print studio for Sunday Afternoon Housewife, is like a baby in the womb of my mind right now. It’s slowly growing and I can’t do anything to speed it along. It will come when it is ready. It’s going to come out perfect in the end. I have so many amazing ideas for the space. I want to share more of them soon, not today in the winter, but in spring when new things are born and the sky is blue and the trees are green. In the meantime I dream, I manifest, I practice more patience.
No, I don’t know when I will be in yet. Patience. When it’s time, I will share more about Stomping Ground. I know I am not the only one anxious to see this all through.
As I look back on that post now I really can’t believe that was in December 2018! They tore down the church in the fall of 2018 and began working on the theater that winter and finally finished in Spring 2020! And oh my is it beautiful! Take a look:
Photo from Kan-Kan’s Instagram @kankancinema
In the mean time the developers were slowly working on the house that is to become Stomping Ground. The zoning for the house turned retail has hit so many road blocks from the permitting office. It has, at times, ground the project down to a complete halt. And then, in March 2020 on the cusp of Kan-Kan’s grand opening and the arrival of all the needed permits, Covid struck. So the last few months things have been going really slow, then this past week they have really started to get so much work done! Today I walked by and they were prepping the ground for a new sidewalk and had dismantled the old faux brick porch to re-do it with more appropriate wood banisters. They also recently installed new windows including the so lovely large retail-style window on the front of the house. If you’d like to look at some older pictures of the house, this little walking tour is from last year and you can also see a few updates of changes through the inside and out on my Instagram and you can follow Stomping Ground on Instagram, too!
Because there were so many fits and starts and talks of timelines of opening in mid-March 2020, in early 2020 I began to order inventory to stock the shelves of the store, just little bits of it here and there. I am so exited to share some of that when the times comes, but because of the delays I also decided to add a section to my website featuring some of the goods which will be for sale in the store when Stomping Ground opens. The store will also be home to my print shop and office for Sunday Afternoon Housewife and I’m really looking forward to being able to expand my space and improve my print equipment when I get my new space up and running so I can print faster. Right now my small spaces makes my process a bit slower than I would like, but we’ll get there. I also look forward to offering classes, hosting book clubs and yoga classes and doing a little gardening outside the store too. I’ll be selling seeds and plants and other things like books, candles and handmade good from some of my favorite local artists.
Pollinator friendly Seeds will be sold at Stomping Ground
All the titles listed above are in stock and ready to ship now! You can click on the picture or check out all we have to offer online for Stomping Ground on my website under the Stomping Ground Tab!
I’m really looking forward to sharing more in the future as the progress on the store progresses, but I also appreciate all the support I get now through book and tee shirt sales as that is helping to keep the dream of the future store alive! Thank you!