Skate, shoe, clothing store opens

 

JP CENTER—Got Sole 1981, a sneaker, skate and clothing shop will open its doors April 1, becoming the first tenant at 615-619 Centre St.

From skateboards to bowties, the “urban preppy and alternative-type clothing” store, as owner Joel Harper described it, will aim to bring diversity to Centre Street, Harper said.

“[JP] is the best place to be. I jumped on the location as fast as I could,” he said.

Harper plans to stock thirty to fifty pairs of shoes: “[I want a] huge variety, a whole wall. A little bit of everything—sneakers, rain boots, everything,” he added.

Harper, a Mattapan resident, said he also has plans to give back to the community: he is planning to hold essay contests for students—from kindergarteners to high schoolers—that will give $100 gift certificates to kids who can’t afford the store’s merchandise.

“That’s my way of giving back,” Harper said.

“It’s good to have funky shops like that, JP hasn’t have a store like that,” Paul Briant, of JP Comics & Games at 603 Centre St. told the Gazette last week. “It extends the line of Centre South streets towards us. It’s good.”

Got Sole 1981 will be the first tenant in the space since it was fire-bombed in 2006. Since then, the Stamatos family, the property owners, have slowly been renovating the building.

Last August, Mayor Thomas Menino threatened legal action against JP businessman Christ Stamatos if construction work was not seen to move forward.

The Stamatos family owns property and runs businesses throughout JP and Boston, including the Robinwood Café & Grill at 536 Centre St. and Stony Brook Wine & Spirits on Boylston Street. The family also owns the building that houses Century 21 and Ace Hardware at 656 Centre Street. Ace Hardware is run by Christ’s cousin, Chris Stamatos.

Calls to Christ Stamatos were not returned by press time.

Got Sole 1981 will be open seven days a week, noon to 8 p.m., 11 to 5 on Sundays. It is the first of three expected stores to open in the building. It is named after the early-2000s “Got Milk?” campaign and Harper’s birth year.

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