Evan Holley and Shawn Adams are taking seemingly disparate businesses — a skate shop, an indoor skate park, a concert venue and a bar — and melding them together in historic downtown Poplar Bluff.
Forum Fifty Fifty began when Adams, a real estate agent and developer, and his business partner Holley saw the Vine Street property come up for sale. His first instinct was to turn it into luxury lofts and a storefront. But the more he and Holley saw of the space, the more they wanted to try something different.
“We’ve already partnered up as far as real estate investments go. I’ve always had a long-term dream of opening a skate shop. Now, I never intended to open a skate park, but whenever we saw the size of this building and the situation that was in front of us ... We decided well, why don’t we just put it all under one roof — make (it) an adult-friendly establishment up top and kid friendly downstairs, keep them completely separate and have a place to bring the whole family out,” said Adams.
The music venue is opening first. Both men played in bands as young adults and were inspired by venue The Well, which operated near where Forum Fifty Fifty sits. Holley said around 100 bands sprang up in Southeast Missouri as teens and adults alike saw their peers performing and formed their own groups.
“That’s another community that we would like to see kind of come back is local music,” he noted.
Both men also have a deep love of skating stretching back to childhood. Adams, who rode his first board at age 8, opened Backroom Board Shop last September in Ken’s Comic Man store and soon found himself restocking the whole shop weekly.
The first floor of Forum Fifty Fifty will be the permanent storefront for Backroom Board Shop in addition to a youth zone with an arcade and refreshments. The indoor skate park, which they plan to open early next year, will provide a place to skate in unpleasant weather and a safe spot for young skaters, who will be supervised by employees.
Adams remarked that skating culture has changed drastically since its birth. Instead of rebellion and vandalism, Poplar Bluff’s robust skating community is characterized by generosity, compassion and respect of their surroundings.
“It’s just amazing to see the kind of community that is involved in skateboarding, versus what I grew up with,” Adams said. “They understand there’s nothing to be made fun of at the park. If you’re struggling, we’re here to help.”
No records have been found of the historic Vine Street building’s construction or original purpose, though it was previously a furnace company and then a billiards hall.
Adams and Holley wanted to ensure it was structurally sound while preserving as many original elements as possible, including the tin ceiling and brick wall murals.
“We wanted to retain as much as possible,” said Holley. “It’s a really cool old building.”
The name Forum Fifty Fifty came from a brainstorming session — “Fifty Fifty” represents the split focuses of the upper and lower levels and is also the name of a common skateboarding grind. “Forum” refers to a gathering place and provided some catchy alliteration.
“I think it perfectly describes what we’ve got going on,” Adams said.
Both men thanked city leaders and neighboring business owners for their extensive help and advice during the renovations. They are excited to be part of Poplar Bluff’s downtown revival.
“We believe that a year or two from now, it’s going to be a different place down here on Vine Street and downtown in general,” Holley said. “It’s gonna be a fun place to be.”
Forum Fifty Fifty is located at 413 Vine St. and will hold a soft opening of the upstairs music venue at 8 p.m. Friday, with DJs I. Wolf and DropJa performing, and 7 p.m. Saturday with rock and metal bands This Is Me Breathing, The Doubted, The Void Within and Community Sadness. Tickets to both events are $12, with a $3 surcharge for attendees under 21.
Adams and Holley plan to open Backroom Board Shop onsite next, then construct the skate park with Sk8 Laborious of St. Louis. A grand opening of the entire facility will come in January or February.