Alley project adds luster to lustrous Milford

By TOM KANE

MILFORD, PA - Milford has been seeing a lot of enhancements these days.

The latest, called Broad Street Alley, which will officially open on Saturday, September 8 during the town’s Art After Dark event, is an upscale commercial site that has transformed the appearance of Greg’s In-Town Garage, now closed, and an alley, which is now closed to traffic.

“The borough has agreed to close up the space to cars and allowed us to make it into an artistic public space, a court yard for everyone,” said Chris Hobbs, who owns the complex with a partner, Tom Holmes. The two, who are artists from the Artery Gallery on Broad and Harford streets, bought the site, designed it and did the work themselves.

There will be chairs and tables for customers of Jorgenson’s Deli in the alley. “In an agreement with Jorgenson’s owner, who owns about six feet of the alley, we are going to redo his façade and repaint his building,” Hobbs said.

The alley will contain four businesses, three of them new.

The Wells Ferry Emporium on the first floor on the street side, which used to be the Country Goose, sells antiques and gifts. Upstairs is the Yoga and Ayurveda Studio, owned by licensed yoga practitioner Annie Palmer, where classes will be held in the practice of yoga. Downstairs on the first floor below the Yoga Studio will be a tattoo parlor operated by Palmer’s husband.

Danny and Mella Tusinean own the American Living Store in the rear of the alley, which used to be where the Seventh Street Coffee House was located. The new store specializes in interior design and decorated living spaces with furniture, curios, paintings and decorative accouterments.

“The American Living Store opened last weekend and there was a lot of traffic in the alley,” Hobbs said. “We expect a lot more this weekend.”

The complex has a parking lot behind the stores.

Hobbs, who lives in Westbury, Long Island, is a sculptor working on paper and Holmes, who is from Hawley, PA, works in brass and copper.

“At the official opening on September 8, we’re going to have music with wine and cheese and will be open until 9:00 p.m.,” Hobbs said.