Highland Prospects on track for June opening next door to Hypno Coffee

Work will start this week to build out 2 additional suites within the Blackwater Overlook Building of Davis Riverwalk. Davis' own Highland Prospects, a purveyor of outdoor gear and clothes, will be located in the largest space of the building. The expanded store will have 1,100 square feet, 14ft ceilings, concrete floors and rustic wood walls, and a 12' square garage door for those open air market days. Energy savings are planned with the use of a high efficiency furnace and solar tube skylights capable of lighting at the equivalent of 1,400 watts each during peak hours. The store owners are likely to expand Highland's offerings significantly to attract -- for example -- locals as well as visitors; boaters as well as skiers; and casual walkers as well as backcountry hikers and backpackers. Our construction plan provides for Highland Prospects to start setting up shop in May, and to be fully operational at that location by June.

Suite 2 is only 300 square feet but will have an 8-foot south-facing window with a view of the Blackwater River. Electrical for this suite will be defrayed by photovoltaic system with an array of panels on the back slope of the building's roof. Riverwalk's master plan positions residences and businesses along the east-west run of the Blackwater River, providing a consistently unimpeded view of the southern sky -- crucial for cost-effective solar solutions. I plan to monitor the generation of the PV system and share that information with you through the year, providing a good idea of KW generation possibilities for Riverwalk and Davis overall. Though not confirmed, I suspect that this PV array will be the first, or certainly one of the first, in the Town of Davis.