BRIDGEPORT — Coyle & Herr are leaving the building.
The designer consignment store — all 12,000 square feet of it packed with a revolving stock of carefully curated home furnishings — is moving from the Bridgeport Art Center to the Avondale neighborhood.
"We're so lucky to have been able to start the business here. It's been a great way to incubate the business ... to become part of the creative ecosystem" in Bridgeport], said Dot Coyle, who runs the store along with architect and designer Mary Beth Herr.
Mary Beth explains why Coyle & Herr are moving:
There is no firm move date yet, but the new store at 3031 N. Rockwell St. will open sometime later this summer as the Bridgeport operation winds down. Until then, much of the store's inventory is discounted, some of it up to 50 percent.
Since opening in 2011, the home goods store has been on the main floor of the Bridgeport Art Center in what's probably the most prominent spot in the massive warehouse, art gallery and storage facility.
Building manager Drago Batar said talks to fill the vacancy are just beginning and the possibilities are endless.
Located on the banks of Bubbly Creek, the building contains commercial record storage, a woodworking shop, a maritime museum, two fitness centers, a fashion design center, artist studios, art galleries and even a Teddy bear distribution company.
"It's such a diverse building. We don't really know who's going to show up," he said.
Coyle called the art center "the perfect place to incubate" the business, first hatched in 2011 about the time city’s office of cultural affairs disbanded. Coyle had served as the department's director of tourism.
Coyle says they've loved their time in the Bridgeport neighborhood:
She soon paired up with Herr, and what was supposed to be a 10-day experiment selling other people's furniture in Bridgeport has turned into a sustained business.
Now as the pair embark on their new location, which is also owned by Paul Levy, owner of the Bridgeport Art Center building, they're hoping to attract new business while retaining their South Side consignment clients and customers.
They're also beefing up their e-commerce efforts to offer "bricks and clicks," code for in-person and online shopping. The Coyle & Herr website features a professionally shot photo gallery of items for sale and offers online shoppers the chance to browse and buy instantly.
And as they gear up to leave Bridgeport, the pair want to send a special shout-out to the South Side for its support.
"We didn't go looking for a new place," Herr said. "The opportunity came to us and we can't pass it up."
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