Village Mercantile

Since its founding in 2020, RenewAll has served as the nonprofit champion for the revitalization of Huntington’s Historic Central City District and West Huntington. At 608-610 14th Street West, RenewAll operates Village Antiques, an established and loved destination in Central City that houses more than 45 vendors offering antiques, collectibles, repurposed goods, vintage clothing, artwork, and more, alongside the Central City Museum and Gallery 610.

RenewAll is now redeveloping the property into Village Mercantile, a community-owned marketplace built to engage people and grow community. A vision shaped by input from residents, students, and visitors, Village Mercantile will combine 18 micro-retail vendor stalls, an indoor beverage program, two outdoor food vendors, a local art gallery, the Central City Museum, and indoor and outdoor event space into a single 7,522-square-foot historic building. As the first project of its kind in the District, Village Mercantile will establish an economic development model that sets a new standard for future investment in throughout Huntington.

When RenewAll assumed ownership in 2020, it became clear that while Village Antiques is a beloved community asset, its early 20th-century building required constant, costly upkeep, and its legacy business model could not sustain itself without ongoing support from RenewAll.

Recognizing that full rehabilitation was the only permanent solution, RenewAll committed to its first real estate development project. In 2024, Tipping Point was hired through Opportunity Appalachia’s Technical Assistance program as RenewAll’s Owner’s Representative to guide this effort. We began by working with RenewAll’s board, internal team, and Village Antiques shop owners to establish a refocused mission and vision to guide every development decision.

We then led a community engagement process with residents, students, and local stakeholders through in-person events such as Central City Days, digital surveys of Marshall University students, and social media campaigns. Responses consistently pointed toward a multi-use indoor and outdoor third space that supports small businesses, offers diverse food options and flexible programming, and celebrates Central City’s history.

Those priorities became the foundation of Village Mercantile. Working with Edward Tucker Architects, we integrated them into multiple floorplan iterations, resulting in a schematic design approved by RenewAll’s team. Throughout the process, we coached RenewAll on essential development skills and established a budget, business plan, operating proforma, and capital stack, creating a clear pathway toward a financially feasible, mission-aligned project.

Tipping Point continues to serve as RenewAll’s Owner’s Representative, guiding Village Mercantile through its next phases of funding, design, and construction.