Downtown Guessing Game

It's not a juice bar/strip club combo, and it's not an Italian restaurant.

Todd Kuhns, Truman Web master, city councilmember and now business owner, won't reveal anything more than this about the new enterprise on the Square, Pickler's Famous. Although Kuhns will be the sole owner of the business, he shares ownership of the building with family practitioner Justin Puckett. Kuhns said he has considered such an enterprise for a couple of years, but he only recently learned of Puckett's parallel interest in revitalizing the downtown area. The two closed on the building Aug. 14 and began demolition with the help of friends and volunteers Aug. 15, Kuhns said. Currently, contractors and those helping with the renovations know what eventually will occupy the building, but guesses are flying around town as to what the new business will be.

"We think that Kirksville could use a little excitement, some positive energy, that we're trying to spur from this," Kuhns said. "It's fun to have people guessing. It's also neat to hear ideas of what people think it should be. We just thought it was more fun this way."

For those who can't stand the suspense, the new business owners offer an Inner Circle on their Web site, picklersfamous.org. Kuhns said more than 300 members belong to the Inner Circle, which receives e-mailed Web clues designed by Kuhns. Those following the Web riddles will have a good idea of what Pickler's Famous will be prior to the target opening date of Dec. 1, 2008, he said.

Picker's Famous first opened in 1880, and although many different businesses have occupied the building since then, the partners intend to return the building to both its original look and name. They have engaged in collecting and verifying stories about the history of the building and doing historical research, and they also will contact relatives of Samuel Pickler who still live in town, Kuhns said.

"I really think that we have a lot of great history downtown, a lot of heritage," he said. "Part of the DREAM Initiative and some of these downtown revitalization efforts are focused on bringing back more of that historical character of downtown."

Brad Selby, Kirksville codes and planning director, said city officials know what type of business will inhabit Pickler's Famous, but will leave it to the owners to make the announcement. Selby said he is pleased with the decision to return the building to its historic appearance.

"It could be the poster child almost for the downtown, in my opinion, in the way the building will look," Selby said. "The building's look is exactly what I think downtown Kirksville should go to."

Selby said the City Council recently encouraged the formation of Kirksville's first historic preservation commission to be later presented to the Council for approval. The Kirksville Historic Preservation Commission's first meeting will take place at 2 p.m. Sept. 19. The KHPC will operate with the goal to identify and preserve historic properties and landmarks in the City of Kirksville, Selby said. If this commission pans out, it will enable Kirksville to be eligible for participation in the certified local government program. In turn, this will allow Kirksville property owners to receive benefits and grants for businesses declared to be historic properties or landmarks, Selby said.

"We're a historic district," he said. "To be historic you really need to be able to see those historic features of the building the way they were first designed and built. [Pickler's Famous] is a very good example of what the downtown could look like."

Hidden Treasures owner Sherry Stacey also said she thinks Pickler's Famous will benefit downtown.

"It's right on target with what we're trying to accomplish here," she said. "You know, adding utility and interest and excitement and fun things for people to do."

Stacey said she knows what Pickler's Famous will be but isn't talking.

"Since they want to be elusive and create mystique and excitement, I don't want to say any more," she said.