The new Glass Factory retail and office building complements Star City’s industrial feel while being solidly modern.
When Bernie Bossio was a kid, he wanted to own No Man’s Land, a small area that fell between the cracks when the borders of Morgantown and Star City were drawn in the early 1900s.
Ambition fulfilled: Bossio and his business partners recently opened The Glass Factory, a retail and office building, squarely on No Man’s Land.
Named for the area’s illustrious history of glass production, The Glass Factory honors that industrial past. “The concept was to make it look like an old warehouse that has been remodeled,” Bossio says. “Exposed brick, polished concrete, the steel railing with wire that you see on the outside. It fits the historic character.” Star City was named for Star Glass Company, he says, and a muralist will soon paint the old Star Glass logo on the side of the building—reproducing a weathered look, of course.
So far, Star Nails & Spa has opened in The Glass Factory, along with Trilith Wealth Management. Coming soon are Browlicity, a salon that specializes in microblading and cosmetic tattoo, currently operating on Burroughs Street, and Latch Boutique, which has outgrown its space in the Seneca Center.
And opening in May to much anticipation is Village Butcher and Market. “It’s a craft butcher, the old-fashioned type of butcher shop. He’s working with some local farmers to have local meats and cheeses and things like that,” Bossio says. “They’ll also have some deli meats and sandwiches and 15 to 20 seats, a great little lunch spot.”
A cafe with a drive-through window is one of the spaces Bossio is still looking forward to filling. “And, to be on the cutting edge, we have an electric vehicle charging station out front with free charging.”
The building advances a vision that Bossio and his partners—Glenn Adrian, John Angotti, Tony Caridi, Dino Colombo, and Daniel, David, John, and Nick Straface, “all local boys that wanted to give back to the community and do something a little different”—have for Star City of affordable homes where residents enjoy strong community bonds and can walk to their butcher and other shops.
“Our hopes are that it’s going to propel that area forward, and in a little higher-end way,” Bossio says. “I think that maybe we’re setting a standard with the type of building we built so, as other properties become available, they’ll be kicked up a notch.” 3345 University Avenue, neither Morgantown nor Star City
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