Historic Delaware market transforming into cozy coffee shop
Matt and Jessie Lehner have an affinity for old, historic buildings, especially ones they visited for scoops of ice cream as children.
When the Lehners saw the historic, 1880’s building on 7775 Dublin Rd. was available for purchase, they knew that it would be quite an undertaking, but that this building deserved a revitalization.
Originally, the building served as an old market for the town, then turned into a gas station at one point, then back to a market that served bait and ice cream, called Wild Oak Market. Now, there’s 4 units in the building, 2 which are residential apartments as well as 2 commercial spaces.
One of the commercial spaces serves as a pick-up spot for Jessie’s small business, The Board Charcuterie, and the other space is currently being renovated by a mother and daughter who are opening Coastline Coffee, a local coffee shop, which is aiming for a fall opening.
“We asked the community what they wanted it to be…and a lot of people said they’d love to see a coffee shop in that space,” Jessie explained. And so, this historic community staple is remaining a community hub.
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If only buying and renovating a historic market was that easy, though. “We knew going into the purchase of the building there were quite a few environmental concerns,” said Jessie. When this space operated as a gas station, the underground petroleum storage tanks were left open and unsecured.
Fortunately, the Lehners were able to secure a $1 million Brownfield Grant, where they’ll work with Phoenix Environmental to remove the storage tanks, conduct groundwater/soil testing, and make this space safe for the community once and for all.
“We’re excited to maintain the integrity of the old building,” remarked Jessie. “This market is part of the community – [the renovation] is something that needs to get done. No one was responsible to get it done, so we personally felt like it was the right thing to do. Growing up in Dublin and getting ice cream here as a child…well, it’s a full circle for us. We’re bringing it back to life.”
You can follow along with Jessie’s charcuterie business here, and stay up to date on the official opening of Coastline Coffee by following their Instagram account.
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