GREENWOOD, Ind. — A tiny creek created a "riverfront district" a few years ago in Greenwood, allowing the city to hand out an unlimited number of liquor licenses to businesses that applied and got approved within the district.
Now, the unique economic development tool is paying off with new and expanding restaurants and venues.
History isn't all that sold Mark Henrichs on buying the 1820s house on Madison Avenue behind his Revery restaurant.
His dream needed one key element.
"Step one was a liquor license," Henrichs explained.
To create Folktale Greenwood, a wedding venue now under construction, Henrichs said he needed to be able to serve champagne and cocktails. But just a few years ago, all the liquor licenses were gone in Greenwood - all taken by existing businesses.
"You have to have liquor," he said. "I mean it's a wedding, so it's a celebration."
Because of tiny Pleasant Creek, he now can serve liquor at Folktale once it opens.
State law in 2018 let Greenwood use the area within 1,500 feet of Pleasant Creek as a riverfront district so the city could hand out more liquor licenses. Outside the district, licenses are strictly limited by a city's population.
Finally, the "river," that's more the size of a drainage ditch, is getting new development to flow.
Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers said seven businesses recently secured liquor licenses to open or expand within the district.
"We've got a brewery (Smocktown) that's currently under construction. It'll be opening up here soon. We have the Smoke Pit, the cigar bar that's opened up," Myers said. "It's really played a big part in the heart of downtown, which is our goal, to make the heart of downtown thriving again."
Grafton-Peek at the corner of Madison and Main is using its permit for "wine and cake" events. In the old Collonade on Main Street, The Release is under construction. It's set to become a live music venue from the owners of Hoosier Brewing Company.
Henrichs, who owns Revery restaurant, now has two liquor licenses. One is being used for Folktale, that new wedding venue. He said it will have room for up to 500 people outdoors, with tables, Edison bulb string lights, wood panel fencing and a turf-style golf greenway for receptions.
Indoors, Henrichs and interior designer Katie Kirkendall are painting and modernizing the historic home so people can take photos, hold cocktail hours and house bridal party suites upstairs.
"It will be a wedding venue that pays homage to the antiquity of the space," Kirkendall said. "We definitely want lots of charm everywhere, photo ops in nooks and crannies."
"We'll do custom wine bottles for the bride and groom. The groom's suite will have a kegerator bar, the bride's suite will have a kegerator bar," Henrichs said. "We're finding new things every day, ripping up floors, putting holes in walls to see what's behind them if there's any extra tile we need to expose."
Renovations are set to be complete by the fall and Henrichs plans to host holiday parties there, as well. He said it's an exciting project that got its start, in part, thanks to that small stream and the liquor licenses it opened up in Greenwood.
Pleasant Creek and its riverfront district extends all the way to SR 135.
That's where another new restaurant, which received a new liquor license, is set to open soon - the Caribbean-themed Caribana Grill.
Myers said he expects more restaurants to apply for licenses as the new development at the old Greenwood Middle School property goes in. Four areas on that redevelopment property have space planned for restaurants. Personally, Myers also hopes available liquor licenses will help snag one particular type of restaurant for the city.
"My biggest hope is to get a nice big steakhouse in downtown Greenwood and that would definitely require one," he said. "I am definitely on the hunt for a steakhouse in Greenwood."