Jun 3, 2007

Find out what’s in the storeBy Paul WycheMLive.com

Staying in the flow is the goal at River Place in Frankenmuth.

Last year, a 20,000-square-foot expansion at the attraction bolstered optimism that the complex would retain its appeal.

Officials funneled $1 million into a project to increase retail space and make aesthetic improvements throughout the 57,000-square-foot grounds.

Landscaping with watery mists and more walkways with “snowmelt systems” round out the expansion.

Owners estimate the business attracts 1 million visitors annually and may increase that number this summer as in-state vacationers look for ways to save money on gasoline.

Co-owner Bill Zehnder said a new shop added this year is the House of Bowsie, named after his aunt Ermia Nuechterlein’s nickname. She died in 1999 at 89.

Although she was a small-town girl, Zehnder said his aunt always had a flair for fashion, and it reflected in her work as she oversaw gift shops at Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth and the Bavarian Inn. Initially, she used her own money to stock the shelves.

“She just had a way with things,” Zehnder said. “We wanted this store to pay homage to her.”

When the $14 million River Place made its debut in 2001, Zehnder said he anticipated growth because of the acres he has to work with.

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