Purchasing the Gizmo Building earlier this year (DAN, 4/10/25) was “definitely jumping off a cliff,” but the project is shaping up nicely and could see some of the permanent operations slated for the place move in within the next six months, owner sheri crider told a tour group last month.
The tour visited the ground floor, basement, and second floor of the building, a former JCPenney located on Central west of Fourth, and at first glance, all three levels still looked pretty rough.
But looks can be deceiving: Many of the most critical, expensive, and time-consuming items on crider’s to-do list are already checked off, including work on the roof, the sewer pipes, and the bathrooms. She and her crew have also cleaned the place out, hauling away massive volumes of stuff that previous occupants had left behind. Items to dispose of included 3,000 pounds of glass, a pile of old Gizmo store records dating back to the 1960s, lots of “disgusting” carpet, and literal truckloads of coat hangers. (Goodwill stopped accepting them after a while.)
Much of what stands in the way of opening, meanwhile, is Sheetrock work and paint, which are relatively straightforward tasks and, at least by construction standards, cheap.
But while the Gizmo is a big challenge even for someone with her background as a general contractor, crider has also come to admire the building and the craftsmanship of its builders.