Spotlight On: Jennifer Whitney and 162 N. Main Street (Ben Franklin Building)

Spotlight On:
Jennifer Whitney and 162 N. Main Street (Ben Franklin Building)

As part of our new series, we are interviewing people of interest in the area who are having a positive impact on our community.

This time, we reached out to Jennifer Whitney, who owns 162 N. Main St in Bishop (the old Ben Franklin building).  Find out about the rich history of the building, and what she has planned for it in the future!

Hi Jennifer, can you tell us about your history and connections to the Owens Valley?

I grew up between Tampa, FL and the rural springs region town where my grandmother grew up and I learned to connect with nature in High Springs. Beginning when I was 5, I spent several weeks each summer with my aunt in Los Angeles and fell in love with California. I did my undergrad in Boulder, CO, studied abroad in Italy, did an incredible post bachelor’s documentary studies program in Portland, ME, and then waited tables and worked as a commercial photo assistant in San Francisco until I went to grad school for journalism in Columbia, MO.  My first newspaper job took me to San Antonio, TX where I eventually went freelance covering social issues, politics, education, economic, and environmental issues, agriculture, and the farm to table food movement and redevelopment of downtowns in the south Texas border region for many national publications and marketing agencies including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Food Network, National Geographic Traveler, The Pearl, and many more. Residential real estate and design were always passion projects alongside my journalism career. Some health challenges in 2015 finally led me back to California and some down time in Joshua Tree where I restored a mid century homesteader cabin. I lived between the Mojave desert and the westside of LA until the pandemic, when I decided to move to Bishop so I could live at a slower pace and spend the majority of my time being active outdoors. As an avid swimmer, hiker, and lover of nature and agriculture, I can’t imagine living anywhere better than the incredibly beautiful and diverse ecosystem of the Eastern Sierra.

Now, can you tell us a little bit of history regarding the Ben Franklin building?

The building is one of the oldest on Main St and was originally built by the Arcularius ranching family as the central City Market with an upstairs boarding house. It was later purchased by Sam Schultz, and became the Schultz Variety Store and then G&E 5&10 before it became Ben Franklin, one of the first franchised chain stores in the US, in 1962.  Upstairs evolved into apartments with some beauty shops, and then eventually the fabric department, office, and storage area for Ben Franklin.  In The 1980’s, Ben Franklin was purchased by Bishop native Adrienne Gillespie, who owned and managed it until it closed due to supply chain issues and retirement in April of 2021.

How did you come to acquire it?

During the pandemic, I was learning to quilt and fell in love with Ben Franklin as the center of creativity and the feminine arts in Bishop.  I also knew the building held a lot of local history.  Shortly thereafter, Adrienne announced that she was going to close the business, so I reached out about buying the building as it was my favorite on Main St and a perfect fit for my vision.

How long has the building been vacant?

We demoed the interior of the building shortly after we acquired it in Aug 2021 in order to get the engineering information necessary to move the plans forward.  There were many months of construction followed by an extensive planning and capital raising process.  We are currently hosting a Pa’Lante Packs retail pop up in the back at the Whitney Alley entrance while we finish raising equity for the project. Expect to see more construction activity and happenings soon.

What are your plans for the Ben Franklin building in the future?

The plans for our pioneering mixed use development weave rich history and green innovation to include an indoor/ outdoor community event space, farm to table cafe, sustainably sourced general store featuring quality regionally made goods and groceries, and boutique guest rooms. The project is in a Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund so investors can take advantage of significant capital gains tax benefits and attractive risk adjusted returns while aligning their funds with community and environmentally conscious values.

What would you like to see downtown Bishop look like in five years?

Many businesses in downtown Bishop and the greater Eastern Sierra are currently transitioning to a younger generation of entrepreneurs. The city is working to implement its new economic development plan including the new Downtown Plan and Mixed Use Zoning Overlay and the Whitney Alley greening project.  I hope in 5 years we have a more inviting, vibrant, walkable Main St that stays true to our history while respecting this beautiful land we are privileged to steward by setting an example for sustainable building, unique local businesses, native ecosystems, and innovation.

A special thank you to Jennifer for answering our questions!

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Tanner Rush