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Downtown Coldwater Buildings to be Renovated and Reopened as Wine Bar, Retail by Local Couple
Thursday, September 12, 2019

The locations of 41 and 47 West Chicago Street in Downtown Coldwater will undergo a major renovation to become “Purple Orchid”, a new wine and retail business slated to open in 2021 by local residents Valorie Johnson and Dave Neitzert.

The three-story buildings, formerly home to Hadfield Computers and Jalisco’s Grocery, will be refinished and restored before opening as “Purple Orchid”, a place where people can gather and enjoy drinks while shopping or engaging in other activities to be offered throughout. “It’s going to be different than what Coldwater is used to” says Neitzert and will feature their own “twist of style and class.

To get off the ground, the renovation project spanning two buildings and three stories will involve local support from many avenues. To start, the façade restoration plans were approved by the Historic District Commission earlier this year and will earn the project a rebate from the Downtown Development Authority’s building improvement program. The Low Interest Loan Pool offered through Southern Michigan And Century Bank and Trust for downtown renovation projects will also be utilized.

The City of Coldwater will also offer additional support in the form of a tax abatement and a partial reimbursement of fire suppression tap installation.

Valorie Johnson, owner of Pure Envee and DWV Properties, along with Dave Neitzert, are both long-time residents of Branch County. Johnson worked for Adapt, Inc. for 30 years before retiring to pursue a career as a licensed esthetician and downtown business owner. Once the renovation is complete, Purple Orchid plans to open sometime in 2021. The couple assures it will “definitely be worth the wait.”



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