JAMESTOWN, Colo. — A small mountain town is racing to save the community gathering place at its center, and residents say losing it would mean losing the heart of Jamestown itself.
The Jamestown Mercantile — known locally as "the Merc" — has served the community for 130 years. The building houses the Jamestown Mercantile Café, along with several apartments, and functions as a hub for art, music, classes, and community events.
Now, the building's owner is looking to sell, and the community has until May 2027 to raise $1.5 million to buy it before the property opens to outside bidders.
▶️ Denver7's Ethan Carlson reports on the race to save the beloved gathering place
"It's our community center, not just for Jamestown, but for kind of a larger geographical area," Rainbow Shultz said.
Shultz has owned the Jamestown Mercantile Café for 16 years. She said the threat of a sale became real in the spring when word spread that a commercial broker and potential buyers had emerged.
"I think that it would not have been so alarming or threatening if you didn't see so many of these places disappearing all around us," Shultz said.
In response, Shultz and a group of community members quickly organized and formed a nonprofit — officially named the Jamestown Home for Wayward Artists, Pirates, and the Somewhat Feral, but operating publicly as Save the Merc. The goal is to raise enough money to purchase the building outright, then rent it back to current tenants, including the café and the residents living in the apartments above.
"Instead of someone with a financial goal or interest guiding the property, it would be the people who live in the community that have the power and control over this place that we all use," Shultz said.
Jamestown Mayor Michael Box said the nonprofit will be structured with an independent board, an executive director, and an advisory board. The nonprofit would serve as landlord for all tenants, including the café.
"We're trying to hold on to this little heart of creativity and free thinking that has characterized this county for many years," Box said.
Box has lived in Jamestown for nearly 15 years and has served as mayor for about five. He described the town as home to roughly 250 residents, with about 1,000 more people who use it as a cultural center. He said The Merc has long been the place where that community comes together — especially during emergencies like major snowfalls and floods.
"It's functioning in a way that serves a tremendous benefit to the town, and we want to see that kind of function continue," Box said.
Box said he worries about what could happen if a private buyer acquires the property without an understanding of what it means to the community — whether that means luxury condos, a high-end restaurant out of reach for locals, or something else entirely.
Long-time resident Anna Maria Boehms, who has lived in Jamestown for close to 30 years, said the Merc has been a constant through some of the town's hardest moments, including the floods of 2013 that displaced many residents for nearly 11 months.
"There's a lot of community events here, and I think she tailors the Merc to what the community wants and needs," Boehms said.
For Boehms, the stakes are personal.
"It's not just a restaurant. It's like home. It feels like home," Boehms said.
Shultz said she hopes the effort succeeds, not just for the people who live within Jamestown's borders, but for everyone in the broader region who values a place to gather, create, and connect.
"I'm not going to be running the Merc forever, but I hope the Merc runs forever because I think it's just like a really magical spot on the planet," Shultz said.
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