By the end of the year, the old façade of The Emporium should be stripped away to reveal large windows facing the heart of downtown Augusta.
The interior of the 1106 Broad St. building, now a skeleton, should contain nine plush apartments and room for one or two businesses.
"It takes some imagining to see what this is going to be like," said Mack McLeod, who owns the building with his wife, Natalie, as he surveyed the gutted top floor.
The Emporium is undergoing a $2.6 million facelift that its owners hope will help revitalize downtown living and restore a historic building.
The building dates back at least to the 1880s, when it was used as a mercantile store to sell furniture.
Its renovations will be completed using historic preservation guidelines, which allow developers to take advantage of tax credits. Those credits should tally up to between $800,000 and $850,000 and make the project possible, Mack McLeod said.
In exchange, the developers must maintain the building's historical character and materials while rehabilitating it.
It also means the apartments must be rented for five years before they can be sold.
The McLeods, who are both retired doctors, plan to incorporate energy-efficient appliances, heat pumps and a roofing system in the design.
The building also will have storage units, deck and patio space, a remote control security system and in-house parking on the ground level.
Prices haven't been set on the apartments, but that they should be priced at a "market rate," he said.
"We don't really expect the project to be a moneymaker for us," Natalie McLeod said. "We just hope to break even."
The Emporium's renovations fit into the Downtown Development Authority's vision for the central business district, Executive Director Margaret Woodard said.
"This is exactly what we want for downtown -- good, mixed-use development," she said. "These are the types of projects where you're going to get people to live, eat and play downtown."
The project has some similarities to the revamped White's Building, but it has some advantages that project did not, namely the historic tax preservation credits, said Paul King, the property manager for The Emporium and the managing broker for Rex Property and Land.
The White's Building, which was previously J.B. White department store, went through foreclosure procedures after the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. seized control from the failed Haven Trust Bank and construction was halted.
Ten of the condominium units were sold, and seven are being rented.
"I think that they've learned a lot from what has happened at the White's Building," King said.
Woodard said DDA studies show demand is strong for downtown living and the area has a 96 percent occupancy level.
"Apartments do not stay on the market here long," Woodard said.
This looks like a great plan. Thank you, Doctors McLeod!
Lets hear it from everyone who hates welfare. Or is this different?
What economic returns have you ever seen from a section 8 resident?
What economic returns have you ever seen from a TANF recipient?
Welfare gives no return on the "investment".
This investment brings residential downtown, sorely needed. Those residents likely will work downtown, play downtown, and most importantly, spend downtown.
Another freebie, guess I should change my posting moniker to ZenoElia2?
I'm very happy to see people continuing to move downtown. Green building, Granite Mill, Sibley Hull House, Emporium, The Enclave, Martha Lester School, Walks on James Brown, the new lofts on 9th street/James Brown boulevard btw the new library and judicial center, Johnson building, etc have brought new residential downtown....
Olde Town and Artist Row are leading the way. Both of these areas have become very trendy places to live in 2010. With the new homes, townhomes, neighborhoods, sidewalks, and streelights going up in Laney Walker. Along with the Kroc Center gentrifying the older part of Harrisburg btw Eve street and 15th street. And the Broad Mill Village and Martha Lester school residential being built across the street from the Kroc Center. The downtown and inner city will grow even faster in the future.
Countyman says he is happy to see people moving downtown. Well, you can bet that Commissioner Jimmy Smith is not happy. He wants them to move to Gordon Hwy. @ Deans Bridge Rd.
Until something is done with Regency Mall. Having lots of middle class and up tax base moving there isn't going to happen anytime soon.
But there are alot of people moving around/near Deans Bridge rd and Gordon Hwy. Only it's people living on the very far outskirts.
Deans Bridge rd..... In between Tobacco road and the city Blythe going towards the Burke county line. Blythe is in Richmond and Burke county. Most of the 1,300 in Blythe's population lies within Richmond county.
Gordon Hwy.... In between Jimmie Dyess pkwy and the city of Harlem. The neighborhood Willhaven is the fastest growing neighborhood in the CSRA. Homes start around $160k.. The homes are off Gordon hwy but the zipcode is 30909. South West Augusta or SWAG(G stands for GA) because they attend ARC highschool.
They're renting up EVERTHING within walking distance of the 2 marinas.
The only places available are as you move away from walking distance, but even that looks like it may be gone by end of spring. Lot's of old money, high tech, air force translators, NSA, lawyers, doctors, nurses, entrepreneurs & yuppies left & right. (& no there is no swag allowed on the river so bring your best, just kidding ha ha ha ha)
Little Lamb said:
Well, you can bet that Commissioner Jimmy Smith is not happy.
Countyman followed with:
Until something is done with Regency Mall.
Then Countyman said:
But there are alot of people moving around/near Deans Bridge Rd. and Gordon Hwy.
And Little Lamb says:
Yeah, they're moving around, but they're in their cars. If they were walking they would be mugged!
Countyman tried to clarify, but made things murkier:
Only it's people living on the very far outskirts.
Little Lamb had to guess:
I guess that's different from the close in outskirts.
Countyman won the debate with his closer:
The homes are off Gordon hwy but the zipcode is 30909. South West Augusta or SWAG(G stands for GA) because they attend ARC highschool.
Gordon Hwy between I-520 and city of Harlem is very diffrent. Check the homes prices. Just look at the diffrence in the hotels for example.
The same with Deans Bridge rd. Once you get passed tobacco rd Ft. Gordon gate. After that you get to Willis Foreman rd in South Augusta then on Blythe and Burke county. Willis Foreman for example has plenty of 300k homes.
And the Regency Mall area around Gordon Hwy or Deans Bridge rd btw meadowbrook rd and Regecy mall. Southgate Shopping Center, Walmart, have alot of people walking around. While there is some crime like anywhere in the united states. No need to over exaggerate with the crime.... Two new restaurants opened off Gordon hwy near Regency Mall recently.
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