The empty lot at 395 19th Street West has been a gap in downtown Jasper since a fire in July 2025. A groundbreaking is projected there for November. The company building on it is Young Jewelers, which has been downtown since 1948 and is moving across the street. Most of the year's other changes on 19th Street follow the same pattern. A cafe moved in from Walston Bridge Road. A coffee shop took over a space another coffee shop had used. A boutique moved into a new storefront a few doors away. Taziki's is the main newcomer from outside Jasper. In 2026, downtown's main street was filled in largely by businesses that were already here.
What Stood at 395 19th Street West
ABC 3340 reported that the fire started early on Saturday, July 5, 2025. The Daily Mountain Eagle reported that the building held the Walker County Public Defender's Office. The law firm next door, Laird, Robertson & Allen, had smoke and water damage.
The building also carried a piece of downtown's history. Mike Putman, executive director of Jasper Main Street, told WVTM 13 that the structure was about 100 years old. Its wall carried the mural that started downtown's revitalization.
"There was a bronze plaque next to the mural that explained Sergeant Jasper and the meaning, the namesake of the town," Putman told WVTM 13. "It became very important to the community, because it was our first mural when we started undergoing downtown revitalization."
WVTM 13's crew watched as workers tore down what was left of the building. It was the first mural of a revitalization program that has since grown into a sculpture trail and a museum, and it ended up as an empty lot in the middle of the block.
A 1948 Store Building Across Its Own Street
In the spring, the Daily Mountain Eagle carried the announcement that Young Jewelers would build a two-story flagship next to its current store. The business traces its family history to 1948 and is nearing 80 years in downtown Jasper. It is run by its second and third generations: Debbie Young Sanders, the president, and her daughter Iris Jarvis, the vice president. Sanders said the project honors her parents, Hoyt and Evelyn Young, who built the business.
In that announcement, Jarvis said the investment "reflects the Young brand and the continued belief in the future of the community we have proudly served for generations." Russ Robertson of Laird, Robertson & Allen, the firm next to the lot, said his office was "thrilled to hear that we will have such good neighbors on our little corner of downtown."
The August update on the Young Jewelers site, which the Daily Mountain Eagle also reported, lays out the project's progress month by month:
- April: Thompson Architecture of Birmingham was retained.
- May: Preliminary renderings were produced.
- June: Rives Construction was named general contractor.
- August 8: The engineering team was confirmed.
- November: Groundbreaking is planned.
No exact groundbreaking date or opening date has been announced. The release describes how the two floors will be used:
"The first level will feature a custom design studio devoted to bringing one-of-a-kind pieces to life, along with a private bridal boutique designed for engagement ring and wedding band appointments."
The mezzanine will hold an expanded bridal registry and a gift collection. It will also keep the store's "In the Window" bridal registrants, a tradition of more than 50 years. The release also says the design is meant to fit the architectural character of downtown Jasper. A family business replacing a 100-year-old building is building with the older storefronts around it in mind.
The Rest of 19th Street Filled In the Same Way
Young Jewelers is the largest example of a local business committing to downtown this year. A spring Business Briefs column in the Daily Mountain Eagle shows the same pattern repeating up and down the street.
Rush Cafe and Bakery used to be R&R and was located on Walston Bridge Road. It moved downtown to 313 19th St. W., the former Black Rock Bistro space. It serves weekday lunch with light fare, rice bowls, main entrees and desserts.
Bailey's Coffee & Co. held a ribbon-cutting at 207 19th St. E., the former Lavish Coffee Shop. It serves handcrafted coffee, fruit bowls and some bakery items. When it opened, the column listed hours of 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Lavish Boutique opened in its new space at the same address, next to the spot the column said would become Taziki's.
Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe is the outside chain in this group. The company says its Jasper location opened April 14, 2026. According to the Taziki's Jasper location page, it's at 201 19th Street East, Suite 100. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Two more spring openings sit just off 19th Street. Lick The Bowl Bakery held its grand opening on March 26 at 1903 Third Ave., behind Tallulah Home. The Jasper Welcome Center & Museum opened March 31 at 311 W. 18th St.
A Lunch-Hour Loop Past the Lot
These spots are close enough to link into one walk, and the fire lot is in the middle of it.
- Start with coffee at Bailey's, 207 19th St. E.
- Walk past Taziki's at 201 19th St. E. and Lavish Boutique next door.
- Head west along 19th Street to the Young Jewelers lot at 395 19th St. W., the site of the July 2025 fire.
- Stop for lunch at Rush Cafe and Bakery, 313 19th St. W. It's a weekday lunch spot, so plan around that.
- Go one block over to the Welcome Center at 311 W. 18th St.
- Finish with something sweet at Lick The Bowl, 1903 Third Ave.
Once construction starts, the walk passes the work site on the way to lunch.
Main Street Is Training the Next Round in the Welcome Center
In August, WBRC reported on Venture Jasper, a 10-week Co.Starters course for aspiring business owners. It costs $55, meets at the Welcome Center, and started classes September 15. A ten-week course that began in mid-September runs into late November, so this year's class will be finishing around the same time Young Jewelers is projected to break ground.
The scale of what came before is in a Daily Mountain Eagle report on Jasper Main Street's statewide awards. Since the program's 2015 designation, downtown has drawn more than $33.26 million in private investment and $17.52 million in public investment, along with more than 428 jobs. The awards recognized the Welcome Center & Museum, the Jasper Sculpture Trail, and the Christmas in Downtown and Candy Cane Trail marketing campaign. Private investment has been almost twice the public figure. That matches this year on 19th Street, where the work came from businesses putting their own money into storefronts.
Between the Groundbreaking and the Trolley
The next few weeks give you other reasons to come downtown while work starts on the lot. The Athletic Arts Center presents The Nutcracker, now in its 18th year, on Saturday, November 14 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 15 at 2 p.m. Both performances are at the Pam Brown Theatre at Jasper High School. The Jasper Main Street calendar lists the Holly Jolly Trolley on December 12, 2026. When it rolls down 19th Street West, the lot where the Sergeant Jasper mural once stood should be a construction site.
For 36 years, Jay Barrett has watched downtown Jasper storefronts change hands, close and come back. If you own a home near downtown and want to know how changes like the 19th Street rebuild affect your property's value, Jay Barrett can help. Schedule a Free Consultation.
