By The Herald Editorial Board
Gathering spots where people feel welcome and safe are vital to a community, but they are not free. Even cherished public community spaces, like libraries and parks, require taxpayer funding to keep them up. Recently, tales of two Everett community spaces — both coffeehouses — have been in the news. Perhaps their similar stories can turn out to benefit them both — and Everett.
The Firewheel Community Coffeehouse, located downtown on Colby Avenue, was shut down on Nov. 30 after co-owner Mike LaPointe could not come up with back rent despite an ongoing fund-raising effort, as The Herald’s Chris Winters reported. The place was open for five years, after being moved from an earlier location. LaPointe likened the place to a town hall type of space where all were welcome. The coffeehouse was not a non-profit, but none of the employees were paid.
The eviction reflects good and bad news: The economy is now good, which means all real estate is much more expensive to buy or rent. (Which is bad news for places that are essentially non-profits.) Fewer places in Everett could be more expensive for a business than the middle of Colby Avenue in downtown. Even if Firewheel could have paid off its debt, it wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the rent.
The other coffeehouse/community gathering spot feeling the pinch is Zippy’s Java Lounge, which originally opened on Hewitt in 2005, and later moved to its current location at 2811 Wetmore Avenue. But now owner Marilyn Rosenberg is making another move after a rent hike made it necessary, as Herald columnist Julie Muhlstein reported. The good news is that thanks to a better rent deal, she is moving her coffee shop to the former home of Under the Red Umbrella in north Everett, which was a popular and needed gathering place in that part of town.
To help with the move and the renovations needed at the site, Rosenberg has launched a GoFundMe effort to raise $13,000 to help cover permits, plumbing and electrical work and other repairs. Rosenberg also has hopes to convert Cafe Zippy into a cooperative business. This is where LaPointe and Firewheel supporters might come in.
Both coffee shops have been more than coffee shops — with music, classes, books and art displays, among many offerings. Both help teens through employment. Their ideals and goals seem to be very similar. With so much in common, it would make sense for LaPointe and Firewheel supporters to join in efforts to help Cafe Zippy succeed at its new location. Bring on the coffee and community.
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