The former Independent Records store at 420 W. Fourth St. is being given new life thanks to a woman who developed an affinity for vinyl while working there for 13 years.

Pueblo native Monica Arrieta and her wife, Kami, are saving the store for vinyl lovers and adding some new twists as they prepare to launch High Vibes Music & Zen Boutique in the coming days.

Arrieta worked at Independent Records from 1990 to 2003 and said it was "a good time."

"It was before music streaming and it was bumping," she said. "There would be lines outside of people waiting to get new releases."

The 4,000 square-foot building built in 1946 was home to Independent Records for more than four decades. Former owner Orville Lambert put the Pueblo store up for sale earlier this year and launched a going out of business sale.

"When I heard Independent was going out of business, I hauled my cookies up to Colorado Springs to meet with the owner and see what we could do to try to keep record stores alive in Pueblo,” Arrieta explained, pointing out that Pueblo Records and Tapes also recently closed.

The avid record collectors decided they had to take action. It seemed prophetic timing as Arrieta had just left her job in the cannabis industry, which has been struggling financially in the past year.

“We saw the sign in the window March 1, closed on a business loan on April 3 and we hope for the grand opening Memorial Day weekend,” Arrietta said. “It’s been such a whirlwind.”

More on Independent Records: Could it be the 'end of an era'? Future of Pueblo's Independent Records up in the air

An old store undergoes a new transformation

The couple have been busy transforming the store with internal and external painting, the removal of outside garbage and debris and improvements to parking lot lighting.

They've also "changed all the signage and branding, so it looks nice,” Arrieta said.

As they prepare for a soft opening in mid-May, Arrieta said there "is a little bit of nervousness, but we hope to draw in more of the community. We want it to be a welcoming spot."

More than a thousand new and used music titles in vinyl and CD form will bring more variety to the store's mainstay, plus there will be new turntables and vintage record players available for purchase.

“I invested heavily in rock n’ roll merchandise that this store has been missing like T-shirts, stickers and patches,” Arrieta said.

The couple’s favorite addition to the store is a “Sit and Spin” station where patrons can grab a beverage such as coffee, kombucha, tea or a healthy drink, snuggle into one of the couches and listen to music before they settle on a purchase.

“It’s our pride a joy. We aren’t trying to crank people in and out, we want them to stay awhile and have an experience,” Arrieta said.

“It’s a combination of our loves and the more we talk to the people in Pueblo, it seems like Pueblo wants this store to happen,” Kami Arrieta said.

What is the new Zen boutique?

The store's former smoking accessories room has been transformed into the Zen boutique, where Kami Arrieta will teach yoga and run a gift shop with Pueblo-made jewelry and natural products like herbal foot pads and body salves as well as tapestries, art and metaphysical products like healing crystals.

A sound healing section has singing bowls, chimes and chakra steel drums that are said to offer health benefits when played. The boutique will offer everything from basic yoga products to high-end items like handmade yoga mats.

“It is quite an eclectic product mix we have in the store,” Arrieta said with a laugh.

Kami Arrieta’s yoga classes will be educational and she plans a basic class for beginners who may feel uncomfortable or nervous going to a class with seasoned yogis.

“She makes it welcoming, invites questions and gives a thorough explanation,” Arrieta said.

“I am excited to be an educator,” Kami Arrieta said, pointing out she finds Pueblo to be a breath of fresh air when compared to the impersonal hustle and bustle of her native city of Denver.

“The whole idea is we want people to feel better,” Arrieta explained.

Yoga classes will start at 9 a.m. and store hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. For more details, visit highvibesmusicandzen.com or email highvibespueblo@gmail.com.

More record store news: Swan song: Pueblo Records & Tapes to close in September after 32 years

Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Former Pueblo Independent Records gets new life as High Vibes Music