Sheridan department store reborn

“The restoration was undertaken by four Sheridan families in a group effort to improve our community,” Greg Von Krosigk, Sheridan-based attorney with Pence and MacMillan LLC, explained.

Von Krosigk and his wife Kristi Von Krosigk, along with Mark Isakson, Kyle and Carla Dunham and Barry King made up the group of investors who took on the massive restoration, which began more than four years ago.

“We all had slightly different motivations for taking on this project, with the common thread that we wanted to turn this building into something really great for downtown,” Von Krosigk said.

At nearly 30,000 square feet, the original Montgomery Ward department store was a prominent building on Main Street, but had become a mostly-vacant, under-utilized eyesore over the last 30 years.

And it sat right in the heart of Sheridan’s Main Street.

“In addition to improving the architecture and aesthetics of that building’s contribution downtown, we also really wanted to add a residential use,” Von Krosigk said. “And like many people interested in the general health of their Main Street communities, we believed that adding residences downtown would help rejuvenate the ecosystem.”

The developers replaced all of the heating/cooling, electrical, communications, plumbing, windows/insulation systems in the entire building.

It is no secret that a vibrant Main Street can draw economic development. When “Wild West” meets comfort and beauty, visitors, businesses and tenants will come.

“People love Sheridan’s downtown,” Von Krosigk said.

The goal was that after renovation, the street-level business spaces in The Montgomery would be highly desirable, and that the residential condos would become a home for locals, new Sheridan residents or even “vacation rental by owner”-type spaces.

This spring, the businesses that now call The Montgomery home are beginning to open their doors. The non-profit Sagebrush Community Art Center (SAGE) occupies space on the first floor, secured through a private donation, along with retailers like the Foot of the Bighorns shoe store and other new Sheridan retailers.

On the second floor, the developers outfitted what will be Wyoming’s third-ever coworking space, Cowork at The Montgomery, owned and operated by Sheridan’s Sen. Dave Kinskey and Donna Kinskey.

The uppermost two floors feature eight residential condos, remodeled with a vintage look but all new working parts.

“Some local real estate folks wondered whether people would really want to live in downtown Sheridan,” Von Krosigk said. “We knew there is a growing trend around the country for people moving back into the city-centers because of convenience, and because of the lifestyle downtown living offers. 

“There was great demand, and we sold all eight residences within a month or so of putting them on the market,” he added.

The mixed-use model has been a growing trend all over the country, including in Wyoming. The Montgomery does have off-street parking for residents, but it is the businesses inside Von Krosigk said the developers are excited about.

SAGE hosted a grand opening in February, and the art cooperative plans more events for the spring, including celebrations of the arts community with the WYO Theater, which sits just across the street from The Montgomery.

“This is a total game-changer for us,” Kate Harrington, Executive Director of SAGE said. “We came from the historic train depot, where we were so far from the nucleus of downtown that people had to make a special effort to come to us. Now we are in the hub of where all the art is happening.”

SAGE secured its space through a donation from Sheridan area philanthropists Sy Thickman and Susan Scott Heyneman, and is in its first permanent home in the non-profit’s 75-year history.

With gallery space dedicated to local artists and members to professional shows in its fine arts galleries, SAGE reaches first-time artists and big-name creators alike.

Donna Kinskey, who has founded Cowork at The Montgomery with husband Wyoming Sen. Dave Kinskey, said the building and its downtown location are perfect for the millennial way of officing.

There are two other coworking spaces in Wyoming: SparkJH in Jackson and the Paramount in Cheyenne. Cowork at The Montgomery will be a membership-based space offering three different levels of participation: an open desk, a dedicated desk and dedicated office.

“People don’t want a long-term lease, they want to have flexibility,” Kinskey explained.

The second-floor space will offer some of the fastest technology in Sheridan, glass-front offices, a conference room, common areas and even a surefire millennial perk: a kegerator.

“Many of the people who want to use coworking space have a perfectly adequate home office, but they get tired of not being around other people,” Kinskey said. “Being at home can also stifle some of your own creative vibes. A coworking space is where people can come in and share ideas and energy.”

And for Sheridan mainstay Foot of the Bighorns, the move just a couple blocks down Main Street represents an exciting growth in business. 

“We are very excited to get moved into our new space,” Foot of the Bighorns’ Michelle Powers Maneval said. Her store will hold a grand opening in April of 2017.

“It is a convenient location that is highly visible to shoppers and traffic on Main. The store will be a good anchor for retail in our unique downtown,” Powers Maneval said. “The finished space looks amazing and has been quite a process to see from it's origin.”