From Vacant to Vibrant; The Power of Restoration

Last week I found myself in Sheffield, Iowa, and like always, I had to stop at one of my favorite places: Block 10, another Locally Grown; Locally Owned business!

There are so many reasons I love it. Yes, they have incredible coffee drinks, ice cream, fresh baked goods, and a constantly changing lunch menu that never disappoints. But it’s more than that. It’s also a bar, a speakeasy, a boutique, and an event space. Truly, I could go on and on.

But the biggest reason this place means so much to me is because it inspired something much closer to home.

Block 10 is actually what sparked the idea for my family to purchase the building we’re currently in – 1908.

I’ve always had a love for old buildings and architecture. There’s something special about the character, the history, the stories they hold. But seeing what was done with Sheffield’s old City Hall didn’t just inspire me, it motivated me. It showed me what’s possible.

And now… I have the same “problem” the owner of Block 10 has. (Although she has A LOT more experience in purchasing and rehabing them).

I can’t stop looking at old buildings and imagining what they could become.

Every time I see a structure that needs attention – something worn down, full of character, maybe even on the verge of being forgotten – I don’t see an eyesore. I see potential. I see life waiting to be brought back.

Because the truth is, once those buildings are gone, we don’t get them back.

Too many historic buildings in our town, across Iowa, and throughout the country have already been torn down. And every time it happens, it’s a loss – not just of a structure, but of a piece of history.

It’s hard to see what used to stand proudly now replaced with… nothing.

But when someone chooses to invest in those spaces – to restore them, repurpose them, and breathe new life into them – it doesn’t just transform a building.

It transforms a community.

Vacant, deteriorating buildings don’t inspire growth. But revitalized spaces? They attract it. They invite people in. They create energy, pride, and momentum.

They quite literally breathe life back into a town.

And that’s something worth investing in!