Interior work on the new Gazette Collective could begin in the next few weeks according to building owner Colleen Mitchell.
Mitchell, along with her husband Rick Mitchell, purchased the former home of the Emporia Gazette right around two years ago with plans to repurpose it into a multi-use space that will include a restaurant, office space for Mitchell-Markowitz Construction, five “luxury residential units,” two short-term visitor rental units and an artist-in-residence studio.
Mitchell says there is no exact date just yet as for when work will officially begin as their main focus at this time is finalizing architectural plans which she says have been “changing” frequently in recent months. Mitchell says one of the main focuses as they continue modifying plans has been the building’s basement where she says they are planning to put the artist’s space
The building at 517 Merchant saw use as a newspaper for over 100 years until digital technology-adjusted the need for space. Tentative plans are for the project to be completed by the end of the year.
