Bicycle Center Receives Coat Of Bright Green Paint



The Bicycle Center (4529 Sand Point Way NE), got a make-over on Saturday.

A volunteer group from University Presbyterian Church, chose the project, through their church program, "Love Your Neighborhood," and painted the somewhat delapidated building a bright light green, turqoise color. 

The program encourages church goers to "creat neighborhood through a substantial service project that meets a real need in the community."

The store, owned by John Marxer, survived an arson fire in October of 2005 which caused about $75,000 in damage. The upstairs housed an unoccupied, at the time,  two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment where two cats perished.

Since that time, parts of the building remained black from smoke damage and the broken apartment windows were never fixed causing it to be an "eyesore" as many neighbors have referred to it.

One of the volunteers told us that John Marxer, the owner, is friends with the Minister of their church and he bought a bike from John, and that was the connection for the church group to choose his store as their neighborhood fix-it project. We were also told that John's wife has cancer.

The group painted the building in about 5 hours and covered the broken windows with plastic, spray painted bright green as well.

John started the bike shop in 1969 and has been in that location for more than thirty five years.

Before picture of Bike shop
(courtesy of Tiffany S)