For the first time ever, loft apartments will soon be available to lease in downtown Russellville.
On Sunday, June 11, an open house will be held at the newly named Reed building to give interested individuals the opportunity to check out the two new one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments at 110 Jackson Avenue North.
“We’ve got two upstairs loft apartments with balconies that we’ll be leasing,” said owner and Russellville mayor David Grissom. “This is the first time Russellville has had loft apartments. It’s something new and hopefully something that can help revitalize downtown.”
Grissom and his business partner Chris Wallace, who make up Made in USA Properties, LLC., purchased the two-story building in October of 2016. Since then, they have worked to renovate the second floor into a modern living space.
“One of the first things we did was hire an architect,” Wallace said. “We got him started early in the process and then from there we really got going on it.”
The next step was making sure the building was safe for future tenants and had all the necessary amenities.
“We basically started working from the roof down,” Grissom said. “We put in a new roof, new wiring, new plumbing. It was a complete renovation of the entire building. Essentially, we took an old structure and made it into a new one.”
While most everything in the apartments is new, the partners did make a couple décor decisions to keep the history of the building intact.
“The only things we kept were the brick walls and the hardwood pine floors. Everything else is new,” Wallace said. “I’m not sure exactly how to describe (the apartments), but I guess it would be more of an industrial look.”
Perhaps the most attractive feature of the apartments are the balconies that were added on to the building.
“We put a front and back balcony on the building for the apartments, and that’s something that’s pretty trendy these days,” Wallace said. “Adding the balconies is a first for the downtown area and hopefully something that is appealing to people.”
Grissom and Wallace are inviting the community to the open house and hope it will generate some buzz around Russellville.
“We want as many people as possible to stop by and see the building and the apartments,” Grissom said. “Obviously, we think it’s something that’s new and exciting for downtown Russellville and it could be a first step for more of this kind of thing in the future.”
A special guest will also be making an appearance at the open house. Huntsville mayor Tommy Battle, a Republican candidate for governor of Alabama, will be in attendance and will speak to those who come by to see the new lofts.
Wallace is optimistic that once Made in USA Properties finds tenants for its two new lofts, more owners, businesses, and property managers will begin starting similar undertakings on the downtown strip.
“A lot of the buildings downtown are for sell or have been sold, and a lot of them are perfect for renovating and doing what we did with our building,” Wallace said. “I think it’s just a matter of getting the ball rolling. Once people see that you can lease an apartment downtown, I think people will be more willing to start their own projects like this.”
