As people were flowing into Jeannette’s downtown business district Saturday for the city’s holiday parade, there was a positive vibe among several business owners along Clay Avenue that downtown is seeing a revitalization.

“It’s slowly coming back. There’s a lot of great things happening. We just need more,” said Jen Toughlian, who opened Peinetti’s Bakery on Clay Avenue two years ago.

“It’s in the fledgling stages of Jeannette being reborn,” said Councilman Chad Krawtz, who owns the building that houses The Vine Boutique, a new store at 420 Clay Ave. “We’re at the breaking point where it is coming together.”

Several store owners along Clay Avenue, which serves as the business district’s main street, agreed that an important factor in reviving that thoroughfare is filling the many empty storefronts, some closed long ago. In five blocks of Clay Avenue, there is no shortage of available space.

There is a need to “create a concentration of businesses,” which would bring more people into the city, said Jim Peticca, a tattoo artist who has operated his Five One Seven Tattoo studio on Clay Avenue since September 2024.

While some properties are being offered for sale, other owners are using their buildings mostly for storage, said Toughlian, who opened her bakery and coffee shop after selling her baked goods at farmers markets.

One of the challenges in converting those vacant storefronts into space for businesses has been that some Clay Avenue property owners have overpriced their properties, said Krawtz, the Jeannette councilman.

In other cases, prospective buyers shy away from making an investment into an old building because it may cost a few hundred thousand dollars to renovate the structure and bring it up to current building codes. Stricter building code enforcement also would help, according to Krawtz, who said renovating his own building was very costly.

Ivy Gray opened The Vine Boutique, a mission-based fair trade herbal apothecary and women’s boutique, in September. She is upbeat about the store location.

“There has been great community support,” said Gray, who has business experience through Ianni’s Pizzeria, her family’s chain of restaurants in Delmont, Latrobe, Derry, Vandergrift and Johnstown.

Gray, a Murrysville resident, said she learned of the availability of the building through Peticca, the tattoo artist, who’s a friend.

Peticca shares his Clay Avenue storefront space with Gilded Violet Piercing Co., owned by Kate Antoon of Jeannette.

“I think we’re all pretty hopeful that Jeannette will grow and revitalize,” said Antoon, 29.

J.D. Griffin of Verona said he opened his business selling vinyl records, Static Station, around Halloween last year, learning about the space from a friend he would talk with at a coffee shop. It took a lot of remodeling to make it into an inviting space.

“I’ve put everything into it,” said Griffin, a former nightclub disc jockey who originally stocked the store with his large personal collection of albums and 45s. His inventory now is counted in thousands of records. The location has been good, with people coming in to buy all kinds of albums, some $1 and some collectibles that could be as high as $150, he said.

Doug Davis and his wife, Amy Jo, operate The Glass City, a stained-glass restoration and gift shop on Clay Avenue. After seeing some businesses close over the past few years, they are pleased with what is occurring there.

“I like where we are going. It’s a good town and it’s coming back,” said Davis, who opened the business 10 years ago.

Longtime Jeannette business owner Jeff DePalma and his wife, Mary Jo, have operated J&J Jewelers on Clay Avenue for 27 years. He sees the business district “coming along little by little.

“We’re getting some business owners who know how to operate a business,” said DePalma, who has seen the ups and downs of the business district.

“There’s a lot of positive changes in the city. They are working for the greater good of the community,” said Mary Jo DePalma.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)