Ice cream, you scream

The door is always open at 3912 Third St. Step inside the Cass Corridor storefront and you’ll find yourself knee-deep in cardboard boxes, soggy newspapers, and the bottom half of a toilet. Wade in a few feet deeper to behold the garden area, where thriving plant life stretches toward an expanse left by an open roof. Down the street at Honest ? John’s, owner John Thompson recalled the spot formerly known as Rollo’s Confectionery during its better days, when neighborhood kids flocked there for an after-school treat. Featuring a long counter, eight or nine seats, and an oak magazine rack, Thompson described his former hangout as “a piece of art.” Built in 1925, the structure has been empty for 20 years. “It was a great little corner store,” Thompson recalled. “It was where we all went to get our ice cream.” In 2002, the city assessed the property’s value at $31,450.

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