The Axehole owner says City of Beckley’s revitalization plan hurts downtown businesses

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Tony Martin said on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, that he and a business partner opened The Axehole, a venue which offers beer and wine and allows patrons to throw axes at wooden bullseyes, on Neville Street after seeing a similar business in another state in 2021.

He said they invested around $80,000 for renovations, hiring his partner’s family-owned construction business and buying material from the local Mean’s Lumber store.

Martin said they have a good landlord, the local Harper Rentals, and that they have paid $3,000 a month, or about $100,000, on rent.

“That money came right out of The Axehole and into our economy,” Martin said.

Martin announced that he was being forced to close The Axehole, after around three years in existence.

Martin made the announcement days after Clint Blunt, the owner of Vinyl Tracks, a Prince Street record shop, announced the record store was closing.

Martin said the decision to close The Axehole was heart-wrenching.

“When I look at Fruits of Labor getting a million dollars to supplement their rent, it’s like why bother? Why take this risk?” Martin asked rhetorically. “Right?”

Martin was referring to Fruits of Labor Cafe, a business situated across the street and just up the block.

The cafe is a for-profit but has a nationally recognized non-profit arm which trains and employs those addicted to opioids through the non-profit Seed Sower Inc., a women’s residential treatment program which shares a space inside of Fruits of Labor.

The City of Beckley owns the Fruits of Labor building and, as of Tuesday, had allowed the business to operate without paying rent for around two years.

Beckley Common Council was in the process of setting a lease agreement on Tuesday.

Owner Tammy Jordan had said city officials (not members of Council) had, before she moved into the building, promised she would pay $1,000 a month in rent.

City officials are also set to grant Fruits of Labor a million dollars in opioid funding monies to help pay the lease.

Beckley officials have said that the goal with establishing Fruits of Labor in downtown was to help address the opioid problem in southern West Virginia and to promote business development in the city’s downtown.

Martin said on Tuesday that, in his opinion, the city’s plan was failing.

He said Fruits of Labor is only open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., which doesn’t offer an option to dinner crowds and doesn’t draw foot traffic to the area throughout the day.

Martin posed a question: If the city can afford to subsidize the lease for Fruits of Labor, why couldn’t public funds be used to help incubate other newly-formed businesses in downtown buildings for the first six months?

“So when I hear that Fruits of Labor is here for economic development, my question is how?” said Martin. “If I had free rent, it would be no problem for me to stay open all day. Because at that point, what revenue I was generating could pay my employees.”

He said the city has also failed to address a number of unemployed people who loiter along downtown streets and deter paying customers.

At-Large Councilman Cody Reedy, an incumbent, said on Tuesday that he does not believe public funds should be used to subsidize rent as a way of revitalizing downtown.

“I don’t think that’s a possibility,” Councilman Reedy said. I was fully against Fruits of Labor not having a lease. I wasn’t in favor of them even moving in the building without a lease agreement.”

Reedy said a lease will be developed with Fruits of Labor for use of the city building in the near future.

He said he understands Martin’s frustrations, particularly with the lack of paying customers coming into downtown Beckley.

“The obvious is the street problems we have with wandering people, whether they’re homeless or not,” said Reedy. “The foot traffic downtown needs to be switched up to good foot traffic of customers and citizens.”

Martin said he would like to see the Beckley Code Enforcement office develop more flexible guidelines for business owners who are moving into downtown buildings.

Councilman Reedy said many of the guidelines are adopted from state standards but added that it could be possible for the city’s elected officials to work with code enforcement officers in some ways to promote business growth.

Martin also said the City of Beckley utilizes the city-owned Historic Black Knight for city events, rather than doing business with downtown small businesses, such as The Axehole, which could use the support.

He pointed out that, in addition to Historic Black Knight, the city operates Raleigh Theatre on Neville Street, across from The Axehole.

Martin said the theater draws a crowd during shows, supplying downtown businesses with customers, but he said that the city had set booking fees which are too high for many art groups to afford, decreasing foot traffic to The Axehole.

Martin said that city officials could lower booking fees for art groups and the public, since tax dollars are already being paid to the building.

Beckley Common Council is soon set to begin operating with a strong council and with a majority of new Council members.

Martin said he hopes Council will consider input from business owners.

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