Bridal store opens in historic Downtown building

Here come the brides, grooms, moms and all the attendants to the new Frew's Bridal, which opened Thursday in the newly renovated, remaining half of the Sears building. "We have bridal gowns of all the newest styles, the best of the best," said Erin Frew, who owns the store with her husband, John. Just hours after the store opened at 301-05 Piasa St., one young woman was meeting with a sales associate in the glassed-in reception area; another was trying on wedding dress for the big day - both apparently with their mothers. A mother and daughter asked a passer-by where the entrance is located, at the north end of the building by a municipal parking lot. The store is a relocation and renaming of the former, 5,000-square-foot Carole Frew's Bridal and Tuxedo Shop that had been in Godfrey for more than 30 years, which John Frew bought in 1998 and closed this week. The Frews also own an online store that sells bridal and other formal clothing and accessories, www.bestbridalprices.com, based on the second floor of the building. It is accessible via an old, dramatic split staircase. The main floor display room is an ocean of white - fluffy white, sheer white, silky, satiny white and lacy and chiffon white from bright to ivory shades, replete with beading and other enhancements. Some of the 800 gowns are rose or beige. Sales personnel wear black to stand out among all the white, while 600 prom dresses in bright fuchsia, turquoise, red, emerald and other colors provide a festive contrast. "Because of our Internet business, we have a variety of prom dresses - every style and manufacturer out there," Erin Frew said. "If these girls want the best of the best, this is the place to get it." Tuxedos will move into the adjoining, 111-year-old Snyder's dry goods building once the Frews finish renovating that area. The two buildings total 27,000 square feet. The businesses have 20 employees. "We have a couple new hires and continue to hire people," Frew said. "I would love anybody interested in selling wedding dresses or retail to come see us." There are 14 dressing rooms, the largest for the brides-to-be. Ornate mirrors brighten and decorate the exposed brick and limestone walls, which have been sandblasted, tuck-pointed and sealed. The Frews began planning with Alton officials about two years ago. They bought the three-story Snyder building and the remaining half of two-story Sears from Alton in February 2011 for $150,000. They started gutting and renovating the structures last March after asbestos and lead paint were removed, doing much of the work themselves. Both the Frews and city officials had priorities of maintaining and enhancing the vintage integrity of the buildings. The first phase was refurbishing the two floors of the Sears building. restoring its walls, hardwood floors and floral-patterned tin ceiling and light fixtures, while still adapting it for use by modern businesses. The city had demolished the north half of the Sears building and put in municipal parking lots on the north and east sides for Downtown shoppers and restaurant patrons to use, retaining ownership. An alderman and other city officials raised concerns about a drainage problem on the parking lot, where rainwater runoff pooled. P.J. Jun, of Jun Construction of Godfrey, said his company removed the southwest part of the lot and made the corrections; engineers Sheppard Morgan and Schwaab paid for the work. Officials have not determined whether the new sidewalks on the Piasa side of the building must be redone or repaired to meet Americans With Disabilities Act requirements. Initially, Frew's Bridal business hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. The Frews plan to have Sunday hours later. The temporary telephone number is (618) 433-9520; the business soon will resume access to its former number, (618) 466-8820. The city used money for the partial Sears demolition from the Riverfront Tax Increment Financing District fund. A grant from the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority covered engineering costs and environmental abatement in the buildings and outlying site. Alton matched the Frews' $150,000 with TIF grants, the demolition and for construction of the north wall after the demolition. Alton bought the Sears property for $400,000 and the Snyder's building for $150,000 in June 2008, with TIF money. The purchase included the parking lot area and land to the north and east, which Alton subdivided and did not resell to the Frews.