By Howie Paul Hartnett, Palm Beach Post
Staff Writer Tuesday, September 4, 2001
DELRAY BEACH -- Friends started
asking when Kelvin Jones was about 12.
"Cut my hair, man."
"Just a trim."
"Give me a fade."
Each little job done in the
back of his mother's house cost $2 -- $3 when he became more
popular.
"It's in my blood," said the
33-year-old self-taught stylist.
Now he charges $11, has eight
barber chairs, a nail technician and an aesthetician -- someone
who gives facials, for you beauty laymen.
He moved out of his mother's
back yard seven years ago and now occupies 2,100 square feet
in a shopping plaza off Congress Avenue just north of Linton
Boulevard.
But what Jones really wants
is an Atlantic Avenue address.
The city native intends to fulfill
his wish when he moves into a 6,500-square-foot, two-story
spot in Atlantic Grove.
Jones intends to have 40 hair
stations, a nails center, day spa and lounge. He intends to
increase his workforce from nine to more than 50.
"We plan to have something
nice, upscale and exclusive," Jones said. "I want to take
it to another level."
Jones Hair & Nails is one of
the first businesses to commit to the proposed retail and
housing complex being built on 4.6 acres off Atlantic Avenue
next to the city's tennis center.
The project is the beginning
of the city's effort to revitalize the historically black
business section. The Community Redevelopment Agency has committed
to spending more than $10 million in the area over the next
10 years.
The Atlantic Grove Partnership
was chosen last year by CRA officials to kick off the effort.
The project will consist of two three-story buildings. More
than 50 townhouses will occupy the third floor with 48,000
square feet of retail and office space spread across the buildings'
lower floors.
With the groundbreaking still
several months away, developers haven't started soliciting
retailers quite yet, but already they are getting a lot of
interest, said Tim Hernandez, a lead partner.
"We haven't even put a sign
up yet," he said. "We just signed an agreement with Arvida
to be the leasing agent for the company.
" Because of the size of the
retail component, Hernandez expects mostly small- to mid-sized
businesses interested in 2,000 to 6,000 square feet.
"This is not the kind of building
where you're going to get a big anchor," he said. "You're
not going to get a department store or a grocery store in
here."
Businesses will have the option
of leasing their space or buying it from the partnership.
"It's a concept that's going
to appeal to a lot of small business owners," Hernandez said.
Likely tenants are cafes, small
clothing stores, law offices and an upscale grocer and deli.
The latter is being proposed
by Tony Hamdan, owner of the Kwik Stop on Atlantic.
"It's going to be Starbucks
meets fresh produce market meets mini-mart," Hamdan said.
"We're going to have produce, fresh coffee, gourmet cheeses,
wine and a professional chef."
Atlantic Grove Market and Grill
is a big step up for Hamdan, a 10-year veteran of the avenue.
But with the Delray Beach Public Library likely moving onto
his land in two years, he needed a new location anyway.
"This gives me an opportunity
to make all the improvements I've wanted to do," he said.
Space to fulfill his vision
also is Jones' motivation.
"We're going to have receptionists,
everyone dressed in black," said Jones, who intends to buy
his space. "All we need is that building."
Even if he weren't moving into
it, Jones said he'd support Atlantic Grove and the improvements
being made to the avenue.
"It's changed a lot for
the better," he said. "Delray Beach is the only city you can
get off at (Interstate) 95 and run right into the action."
howie_hartnett@pbpost.com
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