{"id":8561,"date":"2018-03-09T11:38:50","date_gmt":"2018-03-09T16:38:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebw.tv\/?p=8561"},"modified":"2018-04-04T12:35:36","modified_gmt":"2018-04-04T16:35:36","slug":"larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/","title":{"rendered":"Larry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things Happen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sponsored by: ITC Holdings<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Larry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things Happen<\/p>\n

Written by Audrey\u00a0Sochor<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Walking the streets of downtown Port Huron, you\u2019ll see thriving restaurants, theaters, and buildings coming alive with tenants of new lofts, many of which weren\u2019t there even five years ago. Chances are you\u2019ll pass more than a few projects helmed in one way or another by Larry Jones \u2013 manager, developer, but\u00a0first and foremost<\/span>\u00a0\u201cdreamer.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0A dreamer who works to restore the downtown and the life the mall sucked away. \u201cEverything I do\u00a0is focused<\/span>\u00a0on what I feel is making Port Huron better,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0For him, that means building excitement by getting businesses into the core of downtown, whether it\u2019s starting them himself with stores such as Everything Classic Antiques and Huron Soap and Candle, or leasing space to others.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Not only is bringing in new business to fill vacant storefronts important to him but so is bringing in new residents to support them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Several years ago when city officials first stressed\u00a0the importance of<\/span>\u00a0student housing downtown, Larry bought the Superior Mall building across from\u00a0McMorran<\/span>, Artisan Row, to turn into housing for the\u00a0SC4<\/span>\u00a0volleyball players. He\u2019s kept the momentum going with projects like J.J. Newberry Lofts, Arden\u2019s Alley and the Ballentine building, which is undergoing renovation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Larry\u2019s love affair with Port Huron started 10 years ago when he first sailed his boat into Bridge Harbor Marina. While he jokes he came to Port Huron because his ex-lives in Bay City and he needed a place to park his boat, it was really to visit his son and enjoy retirement after selling his farm north of Lansing. During his stay, he enjoyed the beaches as well as places like the Thomas Edison Inn, Raven Caf\u00e9 and Loxton\u2019s. He soon started to see the potential of what Port Huron could be.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI kept listening to everybody say how Port Huron used\u00a0to be<\/span>, how it was this great city and how it\u00a0should be<\/span>\u00a0like a Holland or Traverse City or Royal Oak and I just kept saying, well, there\u2019s no reason it shouldn\u2019t be if people just took their foot off of it, as my ma used to say,\u201d Larry said. \u201cIf people would just take their foot off of it and let it pop up, it would.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Dreams of what it\u00a0could\u00a0be took<\/span>\u00a0shape and before long he was looking for property to buy with his new partner from Calgary. They realized they needed to buy as many properties as they could for two reasons \u2013 to get invested deep enough they couldn\u2019t back out and to get past the good\u00a0ol\u2019 boys in town.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0By then he was deeply invested in the community financially, but his love affair only continued to grow with\u00a0the formation of<\/span>\u00a0relationships like with his wife, Tracy, a Port Huron native.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0They first met four years ago when Tracy was dancing to a band at Larry\u2019s restaurant, the Cajun Gator, which has since closed and been replaced by\u00a0Tio<\/span>\u00a0Gordos<\/span>\u00a0Cocina<\/span>. He pursued Tracy during her visits to the restaurant, often with the excuse of a new appetizer or drink she needed to try. It worked in his favor and she has been his cheerleader, local historian, and connection to the people ever since.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Larry and Tracy, who are both parents with grandkids, fell in love because \u201cyou could sense how the families would blend\u201d and\u00a0were married<\/span>\u00a0June of 2016 in the courtyard of\u00a0Tio<\/span>\u00a0Gordos<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s ironic when you start thinking about it, because he built that courtyard and it\u2019s where we met, and then we got married there,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cWe look back on it and go, \u2018you know, that\u2019s kind of unique. That\u2019s the place we met and got married.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Both of them also share the dream of seeing Port Huron return to its former glory.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI used to shop downtown and I would go to Sperry\u2019s for school shopping,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cI was used to it when it was booming with sidewalk sales and little boutique shops. It was hard to see the life being sucked out, you know. When Sperry\u2019s closed it was like, \u2018ugh,\u00a0lights out<\/span>\u00a0for the city.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0They are often found walking downtown streets on their way to or from restaurants, shops, and events, something they feel more people\u00a0should be<\/span>\u00a0taking advantage of.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Dressing up in costume for things like the decade’s concerts at\u00a0McMorran<\/span>\u00a0is one of their favorite pastimes. And if you happen to\u00a0encounter<\/span>\u00a0them during one of their outings, you\u2019ll be greeted with a hearty hello from both and likely a joke or two from Larry.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s so important to build that core, keep that core hopping because it\u2019s where people want\u00a0to be<\/span>,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Both support local as much as they can, which has become part of their reputation as a recent trip to the\u00a0Windjammer<\/span>\u00a0in Lexington shows.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThis man and\u00a0lady<\/span>\u00a0came up to me, and I don\u2019t even know who they are,\u201d Larry said. \u201cAnd she says \u2018are you feeling guilty that you\u2019re cheating on Port Huron?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Larry does have construction projects all across the state, but his dream for Port Huron keeps him going around the clock – because he enjoys it. Quiet, relaxing nights are a rare occurrence for them; \u201cDate night\u201d is a trip to Menard\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cWhen we started this we had all these different buildings. Literally the worst looking buildings in town because they were all vacant, they were all empty,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we tried doing different things to decorate them up and clean them up to build some excitement. There\u2019s always something to do or clean up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m retired. I didn\u2019t have to do any of this,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt was strictly because I wanted to. I could be living on my boat in the islands\u00a0right now<\/span>, so everything that I have done has been because of a dream.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0That dream hasn\u2019t always been smooth sailing. Larry said Tracy is good for him because she\u2019s a filter for his \u201cbull in a china shop\u201d tendencies. He\u2019s been called a rebel due to things he said for pushback on projects. Tracy puts on the positive spin and looks for different ways around things.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0One such project was the Sperry\u2019s building and the parking garage he wanted to build behind it with a\u00a0skywalk<\/span>\u00a0connecting to the second floor. That pushback ultimately stopped the plan.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cAll those people pushed back on a parking garage because they never felt Port Huron would\u00a0accomplish<\/span>\u00a0anything,\u201d he said. \u201cThat it would never come alive, and it flustered me with those folks. But\u00a0now<\/span>\u00a0those\u00a0people that<\/span>\u00a0were negative six years ago are positive today.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThey see the changes and the excitement that it\u2019s bringing,\u201d Tracy added.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Sperry\u2019s was such an iconic building people felt that when it came alive the city would come alive, too. Larry tried many ways to get something in Sperry\u2019s, but it was such a big project he took on some of the smaller projects, which he said helped bring people like Chuck Reid to town. Reid is the owner of Sperry\u2019s Moviehouse and the soon\u00a0to be<\/span>\u00a0CityFlats<\/span>\u00a0building.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0The collaboration that now exists between community partners like Blue Meets Green, the Economic Development Alliance, the Community Foundation, the Chamber, the County and the City of Port Huron is inspiring to Larry and Tracy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Tracy said seeing all these people work together and the benefits it brings to the city make pushing projects along worthwhile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 You see so many times that one person can\u00a0make a difference<\/span>, but it takes a community, it takes a team to get things done,\u201d Larry added.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Another group Larry always cites as inspiration is the Blue Water Young Professionals and people their age.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0He believes if you\u2019re not doing something to help the younger generation, why do it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cHe always talks about [Young Professionals],\u201d Tracy said. \u201cYou\u2019re young, vibrant, full of ideas. Fresh ideas. He wants to make it so your generation and your kids succeed and have a great place. Building it up affects us a\u00a0little bit<\/span>, but really it affects you guys.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Carol Hall, owner of The Hallway Escape and\u00a0BWYP<\/span>\u00a0member, is\u00a0a tenant of<\/span>\u00a0theirs. She said Larry is a huge reason why she has her business today.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Hall and Larry met when snowy roads prevented her from making the commute to Royal Oak, so she headed to\u00a0TechPort<\/span>\u00a0to work. Unbeknownst to her it\u00a0was closed<\/span>. While there, she helped out a construction crew, which happened to include Larry, by holding open a door. He let her into\u00a0TechPort<\/span>\u00a0and would pop in and out to check on her, which led to a conversation\u00a0regarding<\/span>\u00a0her dreams and him showing her a space to make it happen.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLittle did I know\u00a0two weeks later\u00a0I would be laid off from my job and that this whole entire meeting\u00a0was meant<\/span>\u00a0to be<\/span>,\u201d Hall said.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Not only do Larry and Tracy support Hall by bringing friends to her business, they did all the construction on Hall\u2019s first escape room, the Thomas Edison train car. Larry also helped her in the summer when she\u00a0was distracted<\/span>\u00a0by her brother-in-law\u2019s death. Hall had forgotten about an off-hours customer, who Larry saw waiting outside. He let her know and helped resolve the issue.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLarry and Tracy\u00a0<\/span>not only talk about how great downtown Port Huron is, but they actively work to make it better every day,\u201d Hall said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sponsored by: ITC Holdings Larry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things Happen Written by Audrey\u00a0Sochor \u00a0 \u00a0Walking the streets of downtown Port Huron, you\u2019ll see thriving restaurants, theaters, and buildings coming alive with tenants of new lofts, many of which weren\u2019t there even five years ago. Chances […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":8570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-feature","et_post_format-et-post-format-gallery","et-has-post-format-content"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLarry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things Happen - Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Larry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things Happen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u00a0 \u00a0Walking the streets of downtown Port Huron, you\u2019ll see thriving restaurants, theaters, and buildings coming alive with tenants of new lofts, many of which weren\u2019t there even five years ago. Chances are you\u2019ll pass more than a few projects helmed in one way or another by Larry Jones \u2013 manager, developer, but\u00a0first and foremost\u00a0\u201cdreamer.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0A dreamer who works to restore the downtown and the life the mall sucked away. \u201cEverything I do\u00a0is focused\u00a0on what I feel is making Port Huron better,\u201d he said. \u00a0 \u00a0For him, that means building excitement by getting businesses into the core of downtown, whether it\u2019s starting them himself with stores such as Everything Classic Antiques and Huron Soap and Candle, or leasing space to others. \u00a0 \u00a0Not only is bringing in new business to fill vacant storefronts important to him but so is bringing in new residents to support them. \u00a0 \u00a0Several years ago when city officials first stressed\u00a0the importance of\u00a0student housing downtown, Larry bought the Superior Mall building across from\u00a0McMorran, Artisan Row, to turn into housing for the\u00a0SC4\u00a0volleyball players. He\u2019s kept the momentum going with projects like J.J. Newberry Lofts, Arden\u2019s Alley and the Ballentine building, which is undergoing renovation. \u00a0 \u00a0Larry\u2019s love affair with Port Huron started 10 years ago when he first sailed his boat into Bridge Harbor Marina. While he jokes he came to Port Huron because his ex-lives in Bay City and he needed a place to park his boat, it was really to visit his son and enjoy retirement after selling his farm north of Lansing. During his stay, he enjoyed the beaches as well as places like the Thomas Edison Inn, Raven Caf\u00e9 and Loxton\u2019s. He soon started to see the potential of what Port Huron could be. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI kept listening to everybody say how Port Huron used\u00a0to be, how it was this great city and how it\u00a0should be\u00a0like a Holland or Traverse City or Royal Oak and I just kept saying, well, there\u2019s no reason it shouldn\u2019t be if people just took their foot off of it, as my ma used to say,\u201d Larry said. \u201cIf people would just take their foot off of it and let it pop up, it would.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Dreams of what it\u00a0could\u00a0be took\u00a0shape and before long he was looking for property to buy with his new partner from Calgary. They realized they needed to buy as many properties as they could for two reasons \u2013 to get invested deep enough they couldn\u2019t back out and to get past the good\u00a0ol\u2019 boys in town. \u00a0 \u00a0By then he was deeply invested in the community financially, but his love affair only continued to grow with\u00a0the formation of\u00a0relationships like with his wife, Tracy, a Port Huron native. \u00a0 \u00a0They first met four years ago when Tracy was dancing to a band at Larry\u2019s restaurant, the Cajun Gator, which has since closed and been replaced by\u00a0Tio\u00a0Gordos\u00a0Cocina. He pursued Tracy during her visits to the restaurant, often with the excuse of a new appetizer or drink she needed to try. It worked in his favor and she has been his cheerleader, local historian, and connection to the people ever since. \u00a0 \u00a0Larry and Tracy, who are both parents with grandkids, fell in love because \u201cyou could sense how the families would blend\u201d and\u00a0were married\u00a0June of 2016 in the courtyard of\u00a0Tio\u00a0Gordos. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s ironic when you start thinking about it, because he built that courtyard and it\u2019s where we met, and then we got married there,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cWe look back on it and go, \u2018you know, that\u2019s kind of unique. That\u2019s the place we met and got married.\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Both of them also share the dream of seeing Port Huron return to its former glory. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI used to shop downtown and I would go to Sperry\u2019s for school shopping,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cI was used to it when it was booming with sidewalk sales and little boutique shops. It was hard to see the life being sucked out, you know. When Sperry\u2019s closed it was like, \u2018ugh,\u00a0lights out\u00a0for the city.\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0They are often found walking downtown streets on their way to or from restaurants, shops, and events, something they feel more people\u00a0should be\u00a0taking advantage of. \u00a0 \u00a0Dressing up in costume for things like the decade's concerts at\u00a0McMorran\u00a0is one of their favorite pastimes. And if you happen to\u00a0encounter\u00a0them during one of their outings, you\u2019ll be greeted with a hearty hello from both and likely a joke or two from Larry. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s so important to build that core, keep that core hopping because it\u2019s where people want\u00a0to be,\u201d he said. \u00a0 \u00a0Both support local as much as they can, which has become part of their reputation as a recent trip to the\u00a0Windjammer\u00a0in Lexington shows. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThis man and\u00a0lady\u00a0came up to me, and I don\u2019t even know who they are,\u201d Larry said. \u201cAnd she says \u2018are you feeling guilty that you\u2019re cheating on Port Huron?\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Larry does have construction projects all across the state, but his dream for Port Huron keeps him going around the clock - because he enjoys it. Quiet, relaxing nights are a rare occurrence for them; \u201cDate night\u201d is a trip to Menard\u2019s. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cWhen we started this we had all these different buildings. Literally the worst looking buildings in town because they were all vacant, they were all empty,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we tried doing different things to decorate them up and clean them up to build some excitement. There\u2019s always something to do or clean up. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m retired. I didn\u2019t have to do any of this,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt was strictly because I wanted to. I could be living on my boat in the islands\u00a0right now, so everything that I have done has been because of a dream.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0That dream hasn\u2019t always been smooth sailing. Larry said Tracy is good for him because she\u2019s a filter for his \u201cbull in a china shop\u201d tendencies. He\u2019s been called a rebel due to things he said for pushback on projects. Tracy puts on the positive spin and looks for different ways around things. \u00a0 \u00a0One such project was the Sperry\u2019s building and the parking garage he wanted to build behind it with a\u00a0skywalk\u00a0connecting to the second floor. That pushback ultimately stopped the plan. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cAll those people pushed back on a parking garage because they never felt Port Huron would\u00a0accomplish\u00a0anything,\u201d he said. \u201cThat it would never come alive, and it flustered me with those folks. But\u00a0now\u00a0those\u00a0people that\u00a0were negative six years ago are positive today.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThey see the changes and the excitement that it\u2019s bringing,\u201d Tracy added.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Sperry\u2019s was such an iconic building people felt that when it came alive the city would come alive, too. Larry tried many ways to get something in Sperry\u2019s, but it was such a big project he took on some of the smaller projects, which he said helped bring people like Chuck Reid to town. Reid is the owner of Sperry\u2019s Moviehouse and the soon\u00a0to be\u00a0CityFlats\u00a0building. \u00a0 \u00a0The collaboration that now exists between community partners like Blue Meets Green, the Economic Development Alliance, the Community Foundation, the Chamber, the County and the City of Port Huron is inspiring to Larry and Tracy. \u00a0 \u00a0Tracy said seeing all these people work together and the benefits it brings to the city make pushing projects along worthwhile. \u00a0 \u00a0 You see so many times that one person can\u00a0make a difference, but it takes a community, it takes a team to get things done,\u201d Larry added. \u00a0 \u00a0Another group Larry always cites as inspiration is the Blue Water Young Professionals and people their age. \u00a0 \u00a0He believes if you\u2019re not doing something to help the younger generation, why do it. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cHe always talks about [Young Professionals],\u201d Tracy said. \u201cYou\u2019re young, vibrant, full of ideas. Fresh ideas. He wants to make it so your generation and your kids succeed and have a great place. Building it up affects us a\u00a0little bit, but really it affects you guys.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Carol Hall, owner of The Hallway Escape and\u00a0BWYP\u00a0member, is\u00a0a tenant of\u00a0theirs. She said Larry is a huge reason why she has her business today. \u00a0 \u00a0Hall and Larry met when snowy roads prevented her from making the commute to Royal Oak, so she headed to\u00a0TechPort\u00a0to work. Unbeknownst to her it\u00a0was closed. While there, she helped out a construction crew, which happened to include Larry, by holding open a door. He let her into\u00a0TechPort\u00a0and would pop in and out to check on her, which led to a conversation\u00a0regarding\u00a0her dreams and him showing her a space to make it happen.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLittle did I know\u00a0two weeks later\u00a0I would be laid off from my job and that this whole entire meeting\u00a0was meant\u00a0to be,\u201d Hall said.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Not only do Larry and Tracy support Hall by bringing friends to her business, they did all the construction on Hall\u2019s first escape room, the Thomas Edison train car. Larry also helped her in the summer when she\u00a0was distracted\u00a0by her brother-in-law\u2019s death. Hall had forgotten about an off-hours customer, who Larry saw waiting outside. He let her know and helped resolve the issue. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLarry and Tracy\u00a0not only talk about how great downtown Port Huron is, but they actively work to make it better every day,\u201d Hall said.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bluewatertv\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-03-09T16:38:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-04-04T16:35:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Larry-Tracy-aerial-view.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"ITC\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Larry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things Happen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"\u00a0 \u00a0Walking the streets of downtown Port Huron, you\u2019ll see thriving restaurants, theaters, and buildings coming alive with tenants of new lofts, many of which weren\u2019t there even five years ago. Chances are you\u2019ll pass more than a few projects helmed in one way or another by Larry Jones \u2013 manager, developer, but\u00a0first and foremost\u00a0\u201cdreamer.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0A dreamer who works to restore the downtown and the life the mall sucked away. \u201cEverything I do\u00a0is focused\u00a0on what I feel is making Port Huron better,\u201d he said. \u00a0 \u00a0For him, that means building excitement by getting businesses into the core of downtown, whether it\u2019s starting them himself with stores such as Everything Classic Antiques and Huron Soap and Candle, or leasing space to others. \u00a0 \u00a0Not only is bringing in new business to fill vacant storefronts important to him but so is bringing in new residents to support them. \u00a0 \u00a0Several years ago when city officials first stressed\u00a0the importance of\u00a0student housing downtown, Larry bought the Superior Mall building across from\u00a0McMorran, Artisan Row, to turn into housing for the\u00a0SC4\u00a0volleyball players. He\u2019s kept the momentum going with projects like J.J. Newberry Lofts, Arden\u2019s Alley and the Ballentine building, which is undergoing renovation. \u00a0 \u00a0Larry\u2019s love affair with Port Huron started 10 years ago when he first sailed his boat into Bridge Harbor Marina. While he jokes he came to Port Huron because his ex-lives in Bay City and he needed a place to park his boat, it was really to visit his son and enjoy retirement after selling his farm north of Lansing. During his stay, he enjoyed the beaches as well as places like the Thomas Edison Inn, Raven Caf\u00e9 and Loxton\u2019s. He soon started to see the potential of what Port Huron could be. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI kept listening to everybody say how Port Huron used\u00a0to be, how it was this great city and how it\u00a0should be\u00a0like a Holland or Traverse City or Royal Oak and I just kept saying, well, there\u2019s no reason it shouldn\u2019t be if people just took their foot off of it, as my ma used to say,\u201d Larry said. \u201cIf people would just take their foot off of it and let it pop up, it would.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Dreams of what it\u00a0could\u00a0be took\u00a0shape and before long he was looking for property to buy with his new partner from Calgary. They realized they needed to buy as many properties as they could for two reasons \u2013 to get invested deep enough they couldn\u2019t back out and to get past the good\u00a0ol\u2019 boys in town. \u00a0 \u00a0By then he was deeply invested in the community financially, but his love affair only continued to grow with\u00a0the formation of\u00a0relationships like with his wife, Tracy, a Port Huron native. \u00a0 \u00a0They first met four years ago when Tracy was dancing to a band at Larry\u2019s restaurant, the Cajun Gator, which has since closed and been replaced by\u00a0Tio\u00a0Gordos\u00a0Cocina. He pursued Tracy during her visits to the restaurant, often with the excuse of a new appetizer or drink she needed to try. It worked in his favor and she has been his cheerleader, local historian, and connection to the people ever since. \u00a0 \u00a0Larry and Tracy, who are both parents with grandkids, fell in love because \u201cyou could sense how the families would blend\u201d and\u00a0were married\u00a0June of 2016 in the courtyard of\u00a0Tio\u00a0Gordos. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s ironic when you start thinking about it, because he built that courtyard and it\u2019s where we met, and then we got married there,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cWe look back on it and go, \u2018you know, that\u2019s kind of unique. That\u2019s the place we met and got married.\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Both of them also share the dream of seeing Port Huron return to its former glory. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI used to shop downtown and I would go to Sperry\u2019s for school shopping,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cI was used to it when it was booming with sidewalk sales and little boutique shops. It was hard to see the life being sucked out, you know. When Sperry\u2019s closed it was like, \u2018ugh,\u00a0lights out\u00a0for the city.\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0They are often found walking downtown streets on their way to or from restaurants, shops, and events, something they feel more people\u00a0should be\u00a0taking advantage of. \u00a0 \u00a0Dressing up in costume for things like the decade's concerts at\u00a0McMorran\u00a0is one of their favorite pastimes. And if you happen to\u00a0encounter\u00a0them during one of their outings, you\u2019ll be greeted with a hearty hello from both and likely a joke or two from Larry. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s so important to build that core, keep that core hopping because it\u2019s where people want\u00a0to be,\u201d he said. \u00a0 \u00a0Both support local as much as they can, which has become part of their reputation as a recent trip to the\u00a0Windjammer\u00a0in Lexington shows. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThis man and\u00a0lady\u00a0came up to me, and I don\u2019t even know who they are,\u201d Larry said. \u201cAnd she says \u2018are you feeling guilty that you\u2019re cheating on Port Huron?\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Larry does have construction projects all across the state, but his dream for Port Huron keeps him going around the clock - because he enjoys it. Quiet, relaxing nights are a rare occurrence for them; \u201cDate night\u201d is a trip to Menard\u2019s. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cWhen we started this we had all these different buildings. Literally the worst looking buildings in town because they were all vacant, they were all empty,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we tried doing different things to decorate them up and clean them up to build some excitement. There\u2019s always something to do or clean up. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m retired. I didn\u2019t have to do any of this,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt was strictly because I wanted to. I could be living on my boat in the islands\u00a0right now, so everything that I have done has been because of a dream.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0That dream hasn\u2019t always been smooth sailing. Larry said Tracy is good for him because she\u2019s a filter for his \u201cbull in a china shop\u201d tendencies. He\u2019s been called a rebel due to things he said for pushback on projects. Tracy puts on the positive spin and looks for different ways around things. \u00a0 \u00a0One such project was the Sperry\u2019s building and the parking garage he wanted to build behind it with a\u00a0skywalk\u00a0connecting to the second floor. That pushback ultimately stopped the plan. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cAll those people pushed back on a parking garage because they never felt Port Huron would\u00a0accomplish\u00a0anything,\u201d he said. \u201cThat it would never come alive, and it flustered me with those folks. But\u00a0now\u00a0those\u00a0people that\u00a0were negative six years ago are positive today.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThey see the changes and the excitement that it\u2019s bringing,\u201d Tracy added.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Sperry\u2019s was such an iconic building people felt that when it came alive the city would come alive, too. Larry tried many ways to get something in Sperry\u2019s, but it was such a big project he took on some of the smaller projects, which he said helped bring people like Chuck Reid to town. Reid is the owner of Sperry\u2019s Moviehouse and the soon\u00a0to be\u00a0CityFlats\u00a0building. \u00a0 \u00a0The collaboration that now exists between community partners like Blue Meets Green, the Economic Development Alliance, the Community Foundation, the Chamber, the County and the City of Port Huron is inspiring to Larry and Tracy. \u00a0 \u00a0Tracy said seeing all these people work together and the benefits it brings to the city make pushing projects along worthwhile. \u00a0 \u00a0 You see so many times that one person can\u00a0make a difference, but it takes a community, it takes a team to get things done,\u201d Larry added. \u00a0 \u00a0Another group Larry always cites as inspiration is the Blue Water Young Professionals and people their age. \u00a0 \u00a0He believes if you\u2019re not doing something to help the younger generation, why do it. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cHe always talks about [Young Professionals],\u201d Tracy said. \u201cYou\u2019re young, vibrant, full of ideas. Fresh ideas. He wants to make it so your generation and your kids succeed and have a great place. Building it up affects us a\u00a0little bit, but really it affects you guys.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Carol Hall, owner of The Hallway Escape and\u00a0BWYP\u00a0member, is\u00a0a tenant of\u00a0theirs. She said Larry is a huge reason why she has her business today. \u00a0 \u00a0Hall and Larry met when snowy roads prevented her from making the commute to Royal Oak, so she headed to\u00a0TechPort\u00a0to work. Unbeknownst to her it\u00a0was closed. While there, she helped out a construction crew, which happened to include Larry, by holding open a door. He let her into\u00a0TechPort\u00a0and would pop in and out to check on her, which led to a conversation\u00a0regarding\u00a0her dreams and him showing her a space to make it happen.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLittle did I know\u00a0two weeks later\u00a0I would be laid off from my job and that this whole entire meeting\u00a0was meant\u00a0to be,\u201d Hall said.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Not only do Larry and Tracy support Hall by bringing friends to her business, they did all the construction on Hall\u2019s first escape room, the Thomas Edison train car. Larry also helped her in the summer when she\u00a0was distracted\u00a0by her brother-in-law\u2019s death. Hall had forgotten about an off-hours customer, who Larry saw waiting outside. He let her know and helped resolve the issue. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLarry and Tracy\u00a0not only talk about how great downtown Port Huron is, but they actively work to make it better every day,\u201d Hall said.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"http:\/\/ebw.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Larry-Tracy-aerial-view.jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EbwtvNews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EbwtvNews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"ITC\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"ITC\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/112a16326eafe21d30a1c51b8d38e49b\"},\"headline\":\"Larry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things Happen\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-03-09T16:38:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-04-04T16:35:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/\"},\"wordCount\":1652,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Larry-Tracy-aerial-view.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Feature Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/\",\"name\":\"Larry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things Happen - 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Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Larry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things Happen","og_description":"\u00a0 \u00a0Walking the streets of downtown Port Huron, you\u2019ll see thriving restaurants, theaters, and buildings coming alive with tenants of new lofts, many of which weren\u2019t there even five years ago. Chances are you\u2019ll pass more than a few projects helmed in one way or another by Larry Jones \u2013 manager, developer, but\u00a0first and foremost\u00a0\u201cdreamer.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0A dreamer who works to restore the downtown and the life the mall sucked away. \u201cEverything I do\u00a0is focused\u00a0on what I feel is making Port Huron better,\u201d he said. \u00a0 \u00a0For him, that means building excitement by getting businesses into the core of downtown, whether it\u2019s starting them himself with stores such as Everything Classic Antiques and Huron Soap and Candle, or leasing space to others. \u00a0 \u00a0Not only is bringing in new business to fill vacant storefronts important to him but so is bringing in new residents to support them. \u00a0 \u00a0Several years ago when city officials first stressed\u00a0the importance of\u00a0student housing downtown, Larry bought the Superior Mall building across from\u00a0McMorran, Artisan Row, to turn into housing for the\u00a0SC4\u00a0volleyball players. He\u2019s kept the momentum going with projects like J.J. Newberry Lofts, Arden\u2019s Alley and the Ballentine building, which is undergoing renovation. \u00a0 \u00a0Larry\u2019s love affair with Port Huron started 10 years ago when he first sailed his boat into Bridge Harbor Marina. While he jokes he came to Port Huron because his ex-lives in Bay City and he needed a place to park his boat, it was really to visit his son and enjoy retirement after selling his farm north of Lansing. During his stay, he enjoyed the beaches as well as places like the Thomas Edison Inn, Raven Caf\u00e9 and Loxton\u2019s. He soon started to see the potential of what Port Huron could be. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI kept listening to everybody say how Port Huron used\u00a0to be, how it was this great city and how it\u00a0should be\u00a0like a Holland or Traverse City or Royal Oak and I just kept saying, well, there\u2019s no reason it shouldn\u2019t be if people just took their foot off of it, as my ma used to say,\u201d Larry said. \u201cIf people would just take their foot off of it and let it pop up, it would.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Dreams of what it\u00a0could\u00a0be took\u00a0shape and before long he was looking for property to buy with his new partner from Calgary. They realized they needed to buy as many properties as they could for two reasons \u2013 to get invested deep enough they couldn\u2019t back out and to get past the good\u00a0ol\u2019 boys in town. \u00a0 \u00a0By then he was deeply invested in the community financially, but his love affair only continued to grow with\u00a0the formation of\u00a0relationships like with his wife, Tracy, a Port Huron native. \u00a0 \u00a0They first met four years ago when Tracy was dancing to a band at Larry\u2019s restaurant, the Cajun Gator, which has since closed and been replaced by\u00a0Tio\u00a0Gordos\u00a0Cocina. He pursued Tracy during her visits to the restaurant, often with the excuse of a new appetizer or drink she needed to try. It worked in his favor and she has been his cheerleader, local historian, and connection to the people ever since. \u00a0 \u00a0Larry and Tracy, who are both parents with grandkids, fell in love because \u201cyou could sense how the families would blend\u201d and\u00a0were married\u00a0June of 2016 in the courtyard of\u00a0Tio\u00a0Gordos. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s ironic when you start thinking about it, because he built that courtyard and it\u2019s where we met, and then we got married there,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cWe look back on it and go, \u2018you know, that\u2019s kind of unique. That\u2019s the place we met and got married.\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Both of them also share the dream of seeing Port Huron return to its former glory. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI used to shop downtown and I would go to Sperry\u2019s for school shopping,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cI was used to it when it was booming with sidewalk sales and little boutique shops. It was hard to see the life being sucked out, you know. When Sperry\u2019s closed it was like, \u2018ugh,\u00a0lights out\u00a0for the city.\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0They are often found walking downtown streets on their way to or from restaurants, shops, and events, something they feel more people\u00a0should be\u00a0taking advantage of. \u00a0 \u00a0Dressing up in costume for things like the decade's concerts at\u00a0McMorran\u00a0is one of their favorite pastimes. And if you happen to\u00a0encounter\u00a0them during one of their outings, you\u2019ll be greeted with a hearty hello from both and likely a joke or two from Larry. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s so important to build that core, keep that core hopping because it\u2019s where people want\u00a0to be,\u201d he said. \u00a0 \u00a0Both support local as much as they can, which has become part of their reputation as a recent trip to the\u00a0Windjammer\u00a0in Lexington shows. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThis man and\u00a0lady\u00a0came up to me, and I don\u2019t even know who they are,\u201d Larry said. \u201cAnd she says \u2018are you feeling guilty that you\u2019re cheating on Port Huron?\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Larry does have construction projects all across the state, but his dream for Port Huron keeps him going around the clock - because he enjoys it. Quiet, relaxing nights are a rare occurrence for them; \u201cDate night\u201d is a trip to Menard\u2019s. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cWhen we started this we had all these different buildings. Literally the worst looking buildings in town because they were all vacant, they were all empty,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we tried doing different things to decorate them up and clean them up to build some excitement. There\u2019s always something to do or clean up. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m retired. I didn\u2019t have to do any of this,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt was strictly because I wanted to. I could be living on my boat in the islands\u00a0right now, so everything that I have done has been because of a dream.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0That dream hasn\u2019t always been smooth sailing. Larry said Tracy is good for him because she\u2019s a filter for his \u201cbull in a china shop\u201d tendencies. He\u2019s been called a rebel due to things he said for pushback on projects. Tracy puts on the positive spin and looks for different ways around things. \u00a0 \u00a0One such project was the Sperry\u2019s building and the parking garage he wanted to build behind it with a\u00a0skywalk\u00a0connecting to the second floor. That pushback ultimately stopped the plan. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cAll those people pushed back on a parking garage because they never felt Port Huron would\u00a0accomplish\u00a0anything,\u201d he said. \u201cThat it would never come alive, and it flustered me with those folks. But\u00a0now\u00a0those\u00a0people that\u00a0were negative six years ago are positive today.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThey see the changes and the excitement that it\u2019s bringing,\u201d Tracy added.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Sperry\u2019s was such an iconic building people felt that when it came alive the city would come alive, too. Larry tried many ways to get something in Sperry\u2019s, but it was such a big project he took on some of the smaller projects, which he said helped bring people like Chuck Reid to town. Reid is the owner of Sperry\u2019s Moviehouse and the soon\u00a0to be\u00a0CityFlats\u00a0building. \u00a0 \u00a0The collaboration that now exists between community partners like Blue Meets Green, the Economic Development Alliance, the Community Foundation, the Chamber, the County and the City of Port Huron is inspiring to Larry and Tracy. \u00a0 \u00a0Tracy said seeing all these people work together and the benefits it brings to the city make pushing projects along worthwhile. \u00a0 \u00a0 You see so many times that one person can\u00a0make a difference, but it takes a community, it takes a team to get things done,\u201d Larry added. \u00a0 \u00a0Another group Larry always cites as inspiration is the Blue Water Young Professionals and people their age. \u00a0 \u00a0He believes if you\u2019re not doing something to help the younger generation, why do it. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cHe always talks about [Young Professionals],\u201d Tracy said. \u201cYou\u2019re young, vibrant, full of ideas. Fresh ideas. He wants to make it so your generation and your kids succeed and have a great place. Building it up affects us a\u00a0little bit, but really it affects you guys.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Carol Hall, owner of The Hallway Escape and\u00a0BWYP\u00a0member, is\u00a0a tenant of\u00a0theirs. She said Larry is a huge reason why she has her business today. \u00a0 \u00a0Hall and Larry met when snowy roads prevented her from making the commute to Royal Oak, so she headed to\u00a0TechPort\u00a0to work. Unbeknownst to her it\u00a0was closed. While there, she helped out a construction crew, which happened to include Larry, by holding open a door. He let her into\u00a0TechPort\u00a0and would pop in and out to check on her, which led to a conversation\u00a0regarding\u00a0her dreams and him showing her a space to make it happen.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLittle did I know\u00a0two weeks later\u00a0I would be laid off from my job and that this whole entire meeting\u00a0was meant\u00a0to be,\u201d Hall said.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Not only do Larry and Tracy support Hall by bringing friends to her business, they did all the construction on Hall\u2019s first escape room, the Thomas Edison train car. Larry also helped her in the summer when she\u00a0was distracted\u00a0by her brother-in-law\u2019s death. Hall had forgotten about an off-hours customer, who Larry saw waiting outside. He let her know and helped resolve the issue. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLarry and Tracy\u00a0not only talk about how great downtown Port Huron is, but they actively work to make it better every day,\u201d Hall said.\u00a0","og_url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/","og_site_name":"Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bluewatertv\/","article_published_time":"2018-03-09T16:38:50+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-04-04T16:35:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2048,"height":1536,"url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Larry-Tracy-aerial-view.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"ITC","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Larry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things Happen","twitter_description":"\u00a0 \u00a0Walking the streets of downtown Port Huron, you\u2019ll see thriving restaurants, theaters, and buildings coming alive with tenants of new lofts, many of which weren\u2019t there even five years ago. Chances are you\u2019ll pass more than a few projects helmed in one way or another by Larry Jones \u2013 manager, developer, but\u00a0first and foremost\u00a0\u201cdreamer.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0A dreamer who works to restore the downtown and the life the mall sucked away. \u201cEverything I do\u00a0is focused\u00a0on what I feel is making Port Huron better,\u201d he said. \u00a0 \u00a0For him, that means building excitement by getting businesses into the core of downtown, whether it\u2019s starting them himself with stores such as Everything Classic Antiques and Huron Soap and Candle, or leasing space to others. \u00a0 \u00a0Not only is bringing in new business to fill vacant storefronts important to him but so is bringing in new residents to support them. \u00a0 \u00a0Several years ago when city officials first stressed\u00a0the importance of\u00a0student housing downtown, Larry bought the Superior Mall building across from\u00a0McMorran, Artisan Row, to turn into housing for the\u00a0SC4\u00a0volleyball players. He\u2019s kept the momentum going with projects like J.J. Newberry Lofts, Arden\u2019s Alley and the Ballentine building, which is undergoing renovation. \u00a0 \u00a0Larry\u2019s love affair with Port Huron started 10 years ago when he first sailed his boat into Bridge Harbor Marina. While he jokes he came to Port Huron because his ex-lives in Bay City and he needed a place to park his boat, it was really to visit his son and enjoy retirement after selling his farm north of Lansing. During his stay, he enjoyed the beaches as well as places like the Thomas Edison Inn, Raven Caf\u00e9 and Loxton\u2019s. He soon started to see the potential of what Port Huron could be. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI kept listening to everybody say how Port Huron used\u00a0to be, how it was this great city and how it\u00a0should be\u00a0like a Holland or Traverse City or Royal Oak and I just kept saying, well, there\u2019s no reason it shouldn\u2019t be if people just took their foot off of it, as my ma used to say,\u201d Larry said. \u201cIf people would just take their foot off of it and let it pop up, it would.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Dreams of what it\u00a0could\u00a0be took\u00a0shape and before long he was looking for property to buy with his new partner from Calgary. They realized they needed to buy as many properties as they could for two reasons \u2013 to get invested deep enough they couldn\u2019t back out and to get past the good\u00a0ol\u2019 boys in town. \u00a0 \u00a0By then he was deeply invested in the community financially, but his love affair only continued to grow with\u00a0the formation of\u00a0relationships like with his wife, Tracy, a Port Huron native. \u00a0 \u00a0They first met four years ago when Tracy was dancing to a band at Larry\u2019s restaurant, the Cajun Gator, which has since closed and been replaced by\u00a0Tio\u00a0Gordos\u00a0Cocina. He pursued Tracy during her visits to the restaurant, often with the excuse of a new appetizer or drink she needed to try. It worked in his favor and she has been his cheerleader, local historian, and connection to the people ever since. \u00a0 \u00a0Larry and Tracy, who are both parents with grandkids, fell in love because \u201cyou could sense how the families would blend\u201d and\u00a0were married\u00a0June of 2016 in the courtyard of\u00a0Tio\u00a0Gordos. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s ironic when you start thinking about it, because he built that courtyard and it\u2019s where we met, and then we got married there,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cWe look back on it and go, \u2018you know, that\u2019s kind of unique. That\u2019s the place we met and got married.\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Both of them also share the dream of seeing Port Huron return to its former glory. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI used to shop downtown and I would go to Sperry\u2019s for school shopping,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cI was used to it when it was booming with sidewalk sales and little boutique shops. It was hard to see the life being sucked out, you know. When Sperry\u2019s closed it was like, \u2018ugh,\u00a0lights out\u00a0for the city.\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0They are often found walking downtown streets on their way to or from restaurants, shops, and events, something they feel more people\u00a0should be\u00a0taking advantage of. \u00a0 \u00a0Dressing up in costume for things like the decade's concerts at\u00a0McMorran\u00a0is one of their favorite pastimes. And if you happen to\u00a0encounter\u00a0them during one of their outings, you\u2019ll be greeted with a hearty hello from both and likely a joke or two from Larry. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s so important to build that core, keep that core hopping because it\u2019s where people want\u00a0to be,\u201d he said. \u00a0 \u00a0Both support local as much as they can, which has become part of their reputation as a recent trip to the\u00a0Windjammer\u00a0in Lexington shows. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThis man and\u00a0lady\u00a0came up to me, and I don\u2019t even know who they are,\u201d Larry said. \u201cAnd she says \u2018are you feeling guilty that you\u2019re cheating on Port Huron?\u2019\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Larry does have construction projects all across the state, but his dream for Port Huron keeps him going around the clock - because he enjoys it. Quiet, relaxing nights are a rare occurrence for them; \u201cDate night\u201d is a trip to Menard\u2019s. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cWhen we started this we had all these different buildings. Literally the worst looking buildings in town because they were all vacant, they were all empty,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we tried doing different things to decorate them up and clean them up to build some excitement. There\u2019s always something to do or clean up. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m retired. I didn\u2019t have to do any of this,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt was strictly because I wanted to. I could be living on my boat in the islands\u00a0right now, so everything that I have done has been because of a dream.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0That dream hasn\u2019t always been smooth sailing. Larry said Tracy is good for him because she\u2019s a filter for his \u201cbull in a china shop\u201d tendencies. He\u2019s been called a rebel due to things he said for pushback on projects. Tracy puts on the positive spin and looks for different ways around things. \u00a0 \u00a0One such project was the Sperry\u2019s building and the parking garage he wanted to build behind it with a\u00a0skywalk\u00a0connecting to the second floor. That pushback ultimately stopped the plan. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cAll those people pushed back on a parking garage because they never felt Port Huron would\u00a0accomplish\u00a0anything,\u201d he said. \u201cThat it would never come alive, and it flustered me with those folks. But\u00a0now\u00a0those\u00a0people that\u00a0were negative six years ago are positive today.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThey see the changes and the excitement that it\u2019s bringing,\u201d Tracy added.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Sperry\u2019s was such an iconic building people felt that when it came alive the city would come alive, too. Larry tried many ways to get something in Sperry\u2019s, but it was such a big project he took on some of the smaller projects, which he said helped bring people like Chuck Reid to town. Reid is the owner of Sperry\u2019s Moviehouse and the soon\u00a0to be\u00a0CityFlats\u00a0building. \u00a0 \u00a0The collaboration that now exists between community partners like Blue Meets Green, the Economic Development Alliance, the Community Foundation, the Chamber, the County and the City of Port Huron is inspiring to Larry and Tracy. \u00a0 \u00a0Tracy said seeing all these people work together and the benefits it brings to the city make pushing projects along worthwhile. \u00a0 \u00a0 You see so many times that one person can\u00a0make a difference, but it takes a community, it takes a team to get things done,\u201d Larry added. \u00a0 \u00a0Another group Larry always cites as inspiration is the Blue Water Young Professionals and people their age. \u00a0 \u00a0He believes if you\u2019re not doing something to help the younger generation, why do it. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cHe always talks about [Young Professionals],\u201d Tracy said. \u201cYou\u2019re young, vibrant, full of ideas. Fresh ideas. He wants to make it so your generation and your kids succeed and have a great place. Building it up affects us a\u00a0little bit, but really it affects you guys.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0Carol Hall, owner of The Hallway Escape and\u00a0BWYP\u00a0member, is\u00a0a tenant of\u00a0theirs. She said Larry is a huge reason why she has her business today. \u00a0 \u00a0Hall and Larry met when snowy roads prevented her from making the commute to Royal Oak, so she headed to\u00a0TechPort\u00a0to work. Unbeknownst to her it\u00a0was closed. While there, she helped out a construction crew, which happened to include Larry, by holding open a door. He let her into\u00a0TechPort\u00a0and would pop in and out to check on her, which led to a conversation\u00a0regarding\u00a0her dreams and him showing her a space to make it happen.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLittle did I know\u00a0two weeks later\u00a0I would be laid off from my job and that this whole entire meeting\u00a0was meant\u00a0to be,\u201d Hall said.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Not only do Larry and Tracy support Hall by bringing friends to her business, they did all the construction on Hall\u2019s first escape room, the Thomas Edison train car. Larry also helped her in the summer when she\u00a0was distracted\u00a0by her brother-in-law\u2019s death. Hall had forgotten about an off-hours customer, who Larry saw waiting outside. He let her know and helped resolve the issue. \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLarry and Tracy\u00a0not only talk about how great downtown Port Huron is, but they actively work to make it better every day,\u201d Hall said.\u00a0","twitter_image":"http:\/\/ebw.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Larry-Tracy-aerial-view.jpeg","twitter_creator":"@EbwtvNews","twitter_site":"@EbwtvNews","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"ITC","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/larry-tracy-jones-just-talk-champions-port-huron-make-things-happen\/"},"author":{"name":"ITC","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/112a16326eafe21d30a1c51b8d38e49b"},"headline":"Larry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things 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by: ITC Holdings Larry and Tracy Jones: More Than Just Talk, These Champions of Port Huron Make Things Happen Written by Audrey\u00a0Sochor \u00a0 \u00a0Walking the streets of downtown Port Huron, you\u2019ll see thriving restaurants, theaters, and buildings coming alive with tenants of new lofts, many of which weren\u2019t there even five years ago. 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