Julia Myers, second from left, recently opened Myers Therapy with her husband, Matthew, in the Flavel Building at the corner of Ninth and Commercial streets in Astoria. The business specializes in soft-tissue physical therapy.

Downtown Astoria has added more than 20 new businesses in the first half of the year, part of a longer-term surge of investment in the urban core.

Sarah Lu Heath, the executive director of the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association, has been touring new businesses with the group’s board members, welcoming them with flowers.

When consternation rose last year over more than 20 vacant storefronts downtown, Heath cautioned that turnover is regular.

“Compared to this time last year, last fall, we’re doing great,” Heath said after a tour.

The downtown association submits quarterly reports to the state Main Street Revitalization program on business openings and investments. Since 2013, Astoria added 72 new businesses, compared to 32 closures, growing downtown employment by 175. More than $5.6 million in private and $1.7 million in public financing has gone into more than 30 building rehabs.

Downtown now has about 13 storefront vacancies, Heath said. The vacancies include several ongoing projects, such as the former J.C. Penney Co. store being turned into a taproom and food court, the Waldorf Hotel building that will become workforce housing and the Norblad Building, where owner Paul Caruana has been steadily filling up with new businesses.

New development

Nowhere is the development more noticeable than on the western edges of downtown, historically less developed than the Commercial and Duane street corridors to the east. The redevelopment of two former Flavel family buildings at the intersection of 10th and Commercial streets has led to several new businesses.

Hillary Smith runs Hills Wild Flours doing custom online cookie orders for weddings, parties and other events. Smith kept tabs on the restoration by Marcus and Michelle Liotta of the M&N Building before approaching them about moving into a small storefront on Ninth Street next to South Bay Wild Fish House.

The Liottas have also added Wild Roots Movement & Massage, Terra Stones and their own Reclamation Marketplace to the building. Smith opens her shop on weekends offering cookies, scones and other pastries.

“It’s nice having a shop so I can meet somewhere other than my house,” she said. “Other than that, I’m just upstairs working.”

Across Commercial Street, Julia and Matthew Myers opened Myers Therapy offering soft-tissue treatment in the corner suite of the Flavel Building, next to Drina Daisy Bosnian Cuisine. The building’s new owners, James and Lisa Long, fixed up the corner suite first and have been restoring a former clothing store next door.

The area around the Astoria Transit Center has added new Thai restaurant Curry & CoCo on Ninth Street and Blue Collar Collective, a partnership of graphic artist Emily Engdahl and photographer Justin Grafton. The couple provide creative services for small businesses and showcase the works of upward of 30 artists and smaller-scale makers in their storefront on 10th Street.

“The merchandising we have here is 100% Pacific Northwest and Oregon-connected or -focused, with a specific focus on small-batch producers and nontraditional artists,” Engdahl said.

Next to Bloomin’ Crazy Floral on Commercial Street, Jody Patterson Morrill opened Jody Rae photography, a studio specializing in portraiture. Like Smith, Morrill gathers most of her business online, photographing visitors to the Oregon Coast.

“I’d say 90% of my clients are not from here,” Morrill said.

On the east end of downtown, Jeff Schwietert recently opened his newest location of Schwietert’s Cones & Candy, a chain of sweet shops stretching down the North Coast.

Ron Neva, co-owner of Astoria Wild Products, recently opened his new fish house, seafood shop and maritime-themed bar Hurricane Ron’s in the former Charlie’s Chowder House and Tiki Bar.

William Hicks, who purchased the Abeco Office Systems building on Commercial Street, took down the metal siding, uncovered the second-story windows and restored the facade with a more colorful flair.

Amid a growing collection of alcohol-related businesses on Duane Street, Seth Howard and Michael Angiletta opened Blaylock’s Whiskey Bar in the Wieveseik Building, formerly Columbia Travel, with more than 100 varieties of the distilled spirit.

A downtown cluster analysis by the association two years ago found potential growth in gift and craft stores, clothing and specialty food and drink.

“If you’re looking at trends nationwide, it’s not uncommon to see more food and beverage and dining,” Heath said of the new mix of businesses.

Clothing store

The downtown association is still trying to recruit a general clothing store to replace J.C. Penney, she said. The taproom and food court effort, led by local apartment owner Sean Fitzpatrick and Baked Alaska chef Chris Holen, recently received $148,880 from the Oregon Main Street Revitalization program, coupled with a $103,640 local match, to restore the Duane Street facade of the former department store but has yet to begin construction.

One of Heath’s signature accomplishments was helping attract Innovative Housing, Inc. to redevelop the former Waldorf Hotel next to City Hall into workforce housing. The group recently secured $2.8 million from the state Housing and Community Services Department to cover nearly half of the development costs. The group will soon start inviting potential tenants to get their opinion on what amenities they need, Heath said.

On Wednesday, the downtown association cuts the ribbon on a new mural by artist Andie Sterling covering the 13th Street Alley, another beautification project meant to better connect businesses on Commercial and Duane streets.