Here are the first 10 vendors for Janelle King’s new Ballroom Collective at Eaton Place

Janelle King is inching closer to getting her new Eaton Place space ready, and that includes announcing the first vendors for her new Ballroom Collective.

In December, Have You Heard? reported that a decade after putting Cleveland Corner on the retail map, King is leaving for new corner space in the prominent 1887 building at the southwest corner of Douglas and St. Francis, across from Naftzger Park.

She’s moving her Workroom shop there and her incubator space where the Blackprint is currently. The Blackprint, which sells gifts, candles, lotion and jewelry by Black entrepreneurs, and the new Planterior will have their own storefronts but also be connected to the Workroom and a new bar King plans (more on that next week).

Then there’s the Eaton’s former ballroom area where King plans the Ballroom Collective.

She’s been taking applications for an assortment of vendors she’s selected for best fit and a diverse mix of product offerings.

King offered 3-, 6- and 12-month terms with “the idea being that there will be some rotation in the space.”

“To my surprise . . . the majority all went with the 12-month,” King said.

She thinks that’s because most of these vendors aren’t dipping their toes into the retail world for the first time. They’re more experienced retailers. Some are trying out new product lines. Others maybe used to have retail spaces of their own but now want to go this route.

King said she’ll keep the applications open to keep offerings rotating.

The first round of vendors include:

• Nectar Republic for home and body fragrance
• The Loud Cicada Outdoors for outdoor products and gifts
• ICT Makers for local-themed gifts and merchandise
• Recycled Threads for upscale resale women’s clothing and accessories
• Bloke men’s products by Bungalow 26
• The Vintage Rabbit for vintage thrift items for homes and gifts
• Rug Studio for area rugs
• Trendz by Lusero Forever for rotating do-it-yourself accessories
• Besos for pinatas, party supplies and gifts with a Latin flair
• Lucky Pup for upscale pet products

Originally, King had hoped to open in April, but licensing for her bar held things up.

She said vendors will start moving in in April along with the Workroom.

They’ll continue setting up in May and start hosting some private events, including ticketed events for the public, a party for Eaton residents and a ribbon cutting among other things. King also is open to people contacting her to host their own events there.

Everything will open in full in June.

“I have great subs that are working through my tenant improvements,” King said.

She said remodeling is going remarkably well.

“It’s going to be a pretty dynamic change.”

This story was originally published March 14, 2024 at 10:41 AM.