Off the Wire
News Owners plan return to Calif.
by Chuck Slothower
Herald Staff Writer
Photo by JERRY McBRIDE/Herald
Moon's Custom Cycles located in Igancio on Goddard Avenue recently closed its doors.
Moon's Custom Cycles is closing indefinitely in a blow to Ignacio's efforts to revitalize the downtown.
Although Steve Mooney, who owns the chopper shop with his wife, Ann, says business is good, the Mooneys are moving temporarily to California to care for a sick relative.
“I'll be back," he said.
Mooney said he will reopen the business in the same shop, unless he succeeds in selling it. If the building finds a buyer, Mooney said he will buy a vacant lot across the street.
Mooney said he built about a dozen custom motorcycles last year. They sell for well more than $10,000.
“I'm slammed," he said. “My customers don't want me to leave."
Moon's Custom Cycles opened in June 2005 in Grandview before moving to Ignacio.
Mooney plans to partner with a shop in Livermore, Calif., while he is living there.
The move leaves Ignacio's downtown Goddard Avenue a little less vibrant.
“We hate to see them go, as we would with any business," said Emily Meisner, president of the Ignacio Chamber of Commerce.
Meisner said she hopes another bike shop comes in because it would be a “good fit" for the area.
Ignacio has become a destination for motorcyclists, especially during the Four Corners Motorcycle Rally the week before Labor Day. This year, the rally is set for Aug. 31 to Sept. 6.
Ignacio officials have been trying to kick-start economic development in the southern La Plata County town of 767 residents.
A $25,000 federal grant recently provided the seed money for a local fund to improve business facades. Ignacio Floral and Coffee Shop and The Patio have received low-interest loans through the program.
Gas drilling and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe are the primary economic drivers in Ignacio.
Mooney said the move is a question of priorities.
“I've got to take care of family first, and business comes second," he said.
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