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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels June 28, 2004 The Station reopens downtown By Steve Zimmerman Ashland Daily Tidings Pam and Don Hammond, owners of Paddington Station in downtown Ashland, had a dream four years ago to update their business. A crowd of customers visit Paddington Station Saturday on its first grand opening since closing in January for an extensive renovation. Satsuki Doi | Ashland Daily Tidings Now, those four years have passed and the newly remodeled Paddington Station is open and receiving rave reviews. "It has been an adventure," Pam said. "It has been four years of planning. We have all three floors up and running and we have got a full assortment of merchandise." The store's grand opening was held Saturday. Hammond said the response from almost all their customers to the renovation has been positive. "About 99.8 percent have loved it," she said. "There is a small contingent that misses the squeaky floors and the rattling fixtures and the darkness of the floors. The biggest comment is that the building feels bigger. That is not the case, we have just opened it up with better lighting and painting. It feels more open and large." Paddington Station moved to Medford to the Rogue Valley Mall during the renovation. Many loyal customers continued to shop in Medford, though some didn't, according to Hammond, choosing to wait patiently for the business to reopen. Bev Shields is one of those loyal customers who did not drive to Medford. She was in the store shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding. "It is nice and has a more open feeling," she said. "It is brighter and more open and has a good community feel. I waited out the renovation. I was concerned they might not come back. I always come here for wedding gifts and holiday gifts." Terry Davis has been an employee for seven years. She lives in Medford so the move to Medford during renovation was more convenient for her. But she loves being back in Ashland at the new Paddington Station. "Pam and Don live in Ashland and they are a part of this community so there was never a doubt the store was going to come back," she said. "It was nice to know they were keeping the business open while the store was being renovated. But the feel was never the same in Medford and the business wasn't there. I am glad to be back here." Davis said the business is part of the city and needed to be back here. "We have customers that come every year and they always say this is the first place they come to," she said. "They always remember what we have in the store and we ship items everywhere. Sometimes when people get home they think, 'I should have gotten that at Paddington.' They will call and ask us to ship it." Davis, who is the buyer in the kitchen department, said the atmosphere at the business is what has kept her driving from Medford to work at Paddington for seven years. "I am 50 and I have had a lot of jobs,' she said. "I love to cook, I love my job and I love the people I work with. I have never had bosses as nice as Pam and Don. They are wonderful to work with. I can't imagine ever leaving. They will have to wheel me out in a wheelchair." Hammond said the renovation, while not totally necessary to the survival of the business, was something that was needed to bring the store, and hopefully downtown Ashland, into the 21st century. "It was a very important personal goal," she said. "I felt we needed to encourage and inspire other people to be caretakers for their old builders. Hopefully this will inspire other businesses to keep our downtown looking good. A lot of the buildings have been around for 100 years. That is a point in a building's life where it needs a lot of attention." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams