The community of Arcadia had a lot to celebrate in the latter part of 2024 and now they’re looking forward to carrying momentum into the warmer months in 2025. A new grocery store, daycare, homes, and equipment shop are among the new developments in the small town.
KCNI/KBBN took a ‘field trip’ to Arcadia last month to visit The Village Market, Cradles to Crayons Daycare, Luehm Equipment, and the homes built by the Arcadia Safety and Preservation Fund (ASAP Fund Inc.). All are a part of a burst of business excitement that culminated in late July and August of last year.
The Village Market – Bringing a grocery store back to Arcadia
Manager Jonni Mauro Zambon and Owner Terina Trotter said that the process in bringing a grocery store back to Arcadia was fast but exciting. Trotter said it all started with a community meeting following the closure of the previous Arcadia grocery store in May of 2024.
“We had over 60 people attend, and we knew there was a major need. Everybody wanted a grocery store so it was just ‘how is this going to happen?’. We had hoped to purchase the old grocery store and that just didn’t work out. By the time we figured out it wasn’t going to work out it was toward the end of July. So then we started gutting this building the first part of August,” explained Trotter.
Zambon said she was excited to be a part of opening a new grocery store, giving a tour that featured everything from pop, coffee, cappuccino, and tobacco to grab-n-go sandwiches, produce, lunch meats, and alcohol. She had moved to Arcadia to be closer to her sister after previously working in teaching and behavioral therapy out of state.
Joe Kowalski, who knows a thing or two about the grocery industry after owning Joe’s Market in Loup City for years, assisted in getting the meat department off the ground.
From a community meeting in the summer, to a complete construction transformation of the former Legion building in the fall, to an opening on January 22, Trotter said the town’s need was the motivation to move fast.
“The town was ready, we needed to, and the milk and the bread were here so we opened,” Trotter laughed.
The Village Market is open Monday through Saturday 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM.
Cradles to Crayons Daycare – Helping fill a childcare need in the community
Cradles to Crayons Daycare has now been opened the better part of a year after celebrating their start in August 2024. Owner Dawn Hanna gave a tour of the building, constructed by Trotter Incorporated before the grocery store project.
Terina Trotter said that the group had helped build a daycare building in Ord, which assisted them in sizing that blueprint down a bit to build in Arcadia. Cradles to Crayons soon joined Bubbles Daycare as the local options for families searching for a childcare home.
Features of the building that took less than a year from concept to completion to raise include a laundry room, a spacious kitchen, utility room, three bathrooms, a baby room, and two other children’s multipurpose rooms.
Hanna beamed with excitement giving the tour even months after opening for business, showing off more features including a beautiful outdoor play area that can be accessed through several doors of the building. She said every day brings new adventures and that the journey in the new building has been fulfilling.
Luehm Equipment – A new business journey in the owner’s hometown
Lance Luehm’s journey toward opening Luehm Equipment at the tail end of 2024 started with mechanic school in Kansas before entering the workforce for several years. Luehm said everything ‘just kind of fell into place with the shop’ and that moving back to his hometown to start a business has been very successful so far.
“We specialize in CASE equipment, so tractors, planters, combines. Anything red really, that’s what we kind of specialize in and then truck wise I would say commercial over-the-road trucks because dad’s really good on that side of it and I went to school for it and worked on a little bit of that,” said Luehm.
After buying the shop building and lot from Jim Trotter, Luehm said he bought the lot next to the building for extra space flexibility. The building has been full of projects ever since, maybe best indicated by the hiring of his dad. Luehm didn’t believe he would have to hire him for help until closer to spring, but ended up hiring him quickly just a couple of months into the venture.
Lance can be reached at the shop at 135 Reynolds in Arcadia or at 308-789-6103.
Arcadia Safety and Preservation (ASAP Fund Inc.) – Building housing options one nail at a time
At the time KCNI/KBBN spoke to Terina Trotter last month, the Arcadia Safety and Preservation Fund (ASAP Inc.) had completed the construction of four homes in Arcadia. One has been sold, three were standing and ready for new owners, and one had cement poured.
Trotter said ASAP Fund Inc. was created a couple of years ago to give local community groups and avenue to work through, or if people wanted to give money to the community for a special project. The building of the houses was a result of the board of six hearing of a rural workforce grant through the state.
“We became aware of a grant that the state had, a housing grant, a rural workforce housing grant. So for every dollar you raise they put in two dollars up to $1 million. So we raised $500 thousand so we got the million and have a million and a half dollars to build homes with. You can build homes, you can build duplexes, kind of whatever you want,” Trotter said.
She added that all of the homes are for sale, and if buyers come to them early enough they can help make choices on features of the home like cabinets and the like. Regulations state that the homes can’t have basements, so each features a three car garage and are zero entry, one-level homes.
Money from homes that are purchased goes into a separate fund that ASAP Fund Inc. oversees for future projects.
Those wishing to learn more about ASAP Fund Inc. can call 308-202-0162 or email [email protected].
