Investment transforms historic Highland property into new downtown gathering space
Towne Square Terrace owners Tricia Feyerabend, right, and Shannon Hogg stand in their newly completed venue rental in downtown Highland. (Brittany Blackwell photo)
By Brittany Blackwell
Reporter • An aging garage and overgrown backyard behind a historic downtown Highland building have been transformed into a new space, demonstrating continued investment in the city’s business district.
After purchasing the roughly 150-year-old building three years ago, owners Tricia Feyerabend and Shannon Hogg have steadily renovated Towne Square Terrace at 923 Main St., converting it into a mixed-use destination with a salon and boutique, short-term rental and now a newly completed event venue.
“We’ve poured a lot into this building,” Hogg said. “We hope it’s a place where people come together and make memories for years to come.”
The project was not part of their original plan when the cousins purchased the building.
Their initial focus was renovating the existing two-story structure, which was formerly home to a massive gift shop, to relocate Hogg’s JusTeazin’ Salon and Boutique while creating Feyerabend’s upstairs Airbnb rental.
“I like old buildings, even if they don’t like me back,” Feyerabend said with a laugh.
Once the project progressed and cleanup of the backyard took place, including clearing overgrown grass and demolishing a single-car garage, the idea arose to further enhance the property to create a “cute little venue.” At this time, renovations were still taking place on the rest of the building, which took roughly two years of hard work.
“When we cleaned up the backyard, we realized we actually had a decent amount of space,” Hogg said. “We asked ourselves, ‘What can we do with this?’”
“We saw the need and how much space we had,” Feyerabend said. “There isn’t really a small event venue like this in Highland anymore.”
This led to the construction of a new space at the rear of the building, which can host weddings, social events, business meetings and other gatherings for up to 80 seated guests indoors and outdoors, while open houses may accommodate more than 100 people in a day. The owners also offer the space during the week for non-profit meetings and community gatherings.
Parking was expanded, landscaping was completely redesigned and new sidewalks, entry doors, retaining walls, concrete, an ADA-accessible entrance and exterior finishes were added. New glass garage doors can close off the venue or open up to the covered patio, extending gatherings outdoors.
Local contractors handled the electrical and structural work, which was important to the owners. They then completed much of the finishing work themselves. The pair and their family stained lumber, painted walls, refinished furniture and poured concrete countertops, combining raw materials with modern design elements to create a unique space.
The venue is a flexible rental space where customers may bring their own food, beverages, decorations and vendors. Tables, chairs, a prep area and private restrooms are among some of the amenities included.
“There’s a lot of personal sweat in this project,” Hogg said.
The owners also worked to preserve the property’s historic character.
An exposed brick wall from the original building serves as a focal point inside the venue. Bricks salvaged from the demolition were cleaned and reused on the new exterior to complement the downtown architecture.
The project benefited from the city’s façade improvement program, launched after the pandemic to boost economic activity and enhance commercial buildings in certain areas of town. The program offers grants covering up to 25% of eligible exterior renovation costs, with a maximum of $10,000 per project. Projects must total at least $10,000. The owners were aware of the reimbursement program before purchasing the building.
The project costs are estimated to be $178,800.
Future plans include adding a privacy fence and seasonal improvements that would allow the venue to be used year-round. Those improvements, the owners said, will come as the business continues to grow.
“We’d love to see at least one reservation every weekend,” Feyerabend said. “That’s our goal.”
Visit Town Square Terrace’s Facebook page or call 618-792-6036 for more details.
