Composition Shop and the Revitalization of Downtown Longmont

Over the past decade, my wife, Greeley, has been restoring buildings along Main Street (and a few adjacent streets) in Longmont, helping lead a transformation in our local downtown. I’m really proud of the work she’s doing and the vision she has for how these projects can lift up downtown Longmont.

If that weren’t enough, she also recently opened a bookstore in one of the buildings she remodeled. Composition Shop is truly special. It’s beautiful, warm, and welcoming. In addition to a great selection of books, the shop also sells chocolates (really, really good ones) and stationery. As an added bonus, our dog Timber is the store greeter. 

It’s been really gratifying to watch Greeley work. She has a long and deep background in construction management. Through her company, I-Beam Colorado, Greeley has focused for the last 4 years on renovating century-old buildings, preserving their historical character while adapting them for modern use. She currently owns six properties downtown, housing local businesses such as Juniper Goods, Flower Wild, and Bakewell, along with office tenants on the upper floor. Two additional projects are currently in development.

The work is meticulous and often underappreciated, but its impact on the downtown area is significant. A recent article in the Denver Business Journal highlighted Greeley’s efforts, noting how she’s restoring original tin ceilings, historic storefronts, and other long-overlooked details across several buildings on Main Street. This kind of reinvestment is helping reshape downtown Longmont, bringing renewed energy to the area.

The Composition Shop is a particularly meaningful part of this broader vision. Greeley has approached it not just as a developer but as a reader, designer, and community member. If you’re in the area, I encourage you to visit – 356 Main Street. If you’re outside of Longmont you can order directly from her site. AND, if you listen to audio books (like I do), you can use Libro.fm, a platform that supports independent bookstores, and designate Composition Shop as your local store. I’ve switched to Libro.fm from Audible – it’s been an easy transition. Side note: if you’re interested in what I’m reading, I recently signed up for Goodreads and have recorded my current reading as well as books I’ve read in the past 2 years or so. You can also follow Composition Shop on Instagram or leave a review on Google or Yelp. 

Lastly, I wanted to flag for you that on May 28, my partner Brad Feld will be hosting a “Random Day” at The Composition Shop. He’ll be available for 15-minute meetings throughout the day and will be signing copies of his upcoming book, Give First: The Power of Mentorship, ahead of its official release. It’s a great opportunity to engage with Brad and support the local community. For more details, visit Brad’s announcement on his blog: Random Day on 5/28 at The Composition Shop.

It’s been a privilege to watch this project come to life—and even more rewarding to see how it’s already starting to shape the next chapter of downtown Longmont.