August 27, 2013

Very Versatile Commercial or Work Space ~ The Workshop of Your Dreams ~ Downtown Salisbury ~ For Lease

122~B East Innes Street, Salisbury NC
The historic Flowers Bakery Building, most currently known as East Square Artworks ~ has commercial space for lease! This extremely versatile and vastly open space has come available right in Downtown Salisbury ~ less than a mile from Interstate-85, just a few blocks from the Amtrak Station, and smack-dab in the center of Salisbury NC's historic downtown. Once a bakery, the old Flowers Bakery, and most recently a large-scale metal artist's sculpture fabrication shop, this approximately +/- 4500 square foot space can be adapted to nearly anything that you might be able to envision! Contact Greg Rapp ~ 704.213.6846 ~ to lease the workshop of your dreams!!!


This fabulous workspace or commercial space can be yours for the lease of $2,500/month ($6.00/square foot) for the entire space . . . OR . . . the owner will consider subdividing the space. The space has great parking out front, garage door entry, and a small loading elevator (truck-height, with elevator to floor level).  The rear of the building has driveway access and a personnel door. And did we mention it is right downtown? Perfect!


The floors and walls of the first floor open shop space are brick, and the area has high ceilings with exposed utility piping. The second story of the Flowers Bakery Building, as it was once known as, is owner-occupied residential loft space. The property, built in the 1930's, is considered historic and therefore resides under protective covenants and restrictions. The building was a featured property in the Historic Salisbury Foundation's Annual October Tour of Historic Homes just a few years ago.


Seize this rare opportunity to have the workshop of your dreams in this large and super~conveniently located space! Call Greg Rapp at 704.213.6846 to check out the nearly limitless possibilities this very open space offers, in a downtown setting where the activity is brimming, and visibility is premium. Let Greg show you this awesome space at 122-B East Innes Street, Salisbury NC today!
 



August 24, 2013

Greg Rapp Sells c.1882 Bernhardt Hardware Building in Downtown Salisbury ~ Residential & Commercial Space Coming Soon!

The former Bernhardt Hardware property has been sold!!!

Greg Rapp, of Wallace Realty, sold the expansive hardware building at 111-115 N Main Street in Downtown Salisbury NC for $200,000 to Calm Holdings, a new partnership formed by Chad Vriesema and Bryan Wymbs.

Vriesema is owner of Central Piedmont Builders Inc., the contractor for several other restoration projects in the downtown including Pottery 101, Critters, and Go Burrito. Vriesema said he and Wymbs expect to invest $400,000 to $600,000 in the Bernhardt building and make it a mix of apartments or condominiums on the second story and retail on the bottom floors. The hardware property, which over the years combined three separate buildings into one, will be returned to three distinct buildings, Vriesema said, and he and Wymbs hope to incorporate the Bernhardt name in the redevelopment because of its important historic connection to the property.

There are no prospective tenants yet, however, Vriesema will be meeting with an architect in coming months, expecting renovations to begin this fall or winter. The buildings cover 16,000 square feet, and Vriesema envisions six units of roughly 2,500 square feet covering both floors. Greg Rapp, the Realtor who worked on the sale, said the end result “will be awesome for Salisbury”. Rapp sees the downtown as having a strong potential for scores of more residents in its older storefront buildings, and he and Vriesema predicted good things to come for the downtown.


The City of Salisbury has been recognized through the N.C. Main Street Program, where  award winners are recognized for excellence in downtown revitalization efforts in categories such as promotion, organization, design and economic restructuring. The successful Main Street Programs have proven that revitalizing downtown areas can help grow local small businesses, attract new investments and create jobs. The North Carolina Main Street Program helps small towns preserve their historic fabric and, using local resources, build on their unique characteristics to create vibrant central business districts. Award winners are chosen by a panel of independent judges from dozens of applications submitted by Main Street participants throughout the state.

Click "HERE" for a view of Downtown Salisbury, NC.


Artist Robert Toth's Rendition of Bernhardt Hardware
Bernhardt Hardware was associated with the late Paul Bernhardt, known as a good-hearted retailer, promoter, artist and craftsman. He built delightful Christmas decorations for his store and loved history, conversation and politics. He was mayor of Salisbury from 1967-71 and a City Council member for 12 years overall. He served on many merchant and community boards, including a chairmanship with the Rowan Vocational Workshop. Greer Hardware started in this location in 1928. (The building dates back to 1882.) Leake Bernhardt, Paul’s father, served as store manager. Paul joined the store as assistant manager in 1946 after his service with the Army Air Corps in World War II. When Greer Hardware liquidated the store in 1961, Bernhardt Hardware took its place. Eva Bingham, Paul’s daughter, put the property up for sale after her father’s death in April 2012. The store had a going-out-of-business sale and closed that summer. (Adapted from the Salisbury Post article, 8/19/2013, by Mark Wineka ~ Read the full article in the Salisbury Post Online at http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20130819/SP01/130819701/1023/former-bernhardt-hardware-property-sold-for-200000)

Greg Rapp is the Salisbury area's premiere real estate agent for historic and vintage properties. If you'd like to see the other opportunities for both residential or commercial properties in Rowan County, give Greg a call at 704.213.6846. He has a wealth of properties and the knowledge to back them up! You'll make a smart decision!



August 13, 2013

Rise Above it All ~ Privacy and Charm ~ 927 N Main Street ~ $149,900

Location ~ Location ~ Location! Just 6 blocks from the center of downtown Salisbury NC, you’ll find the North Main Historic District. The North Main, or NOMA, district is the last remaining residential corridor into the City of Salisbury, and is notable for the wide variety of residential architecture, many intact with their original details.

Just 9 blocks from the center of downtown Salisbury, you’ll find this adorable circa
1928 brick bungalow sitting high off the street, looking down on the corridor. The ambiance of this impeccably restored home at 927 N. Main Street comes from an artful blend of both the Tudor style and American Craftsman architecture, with gleaming refinished hardwood floors throughout the home, and arched detail on the wonderful 14x14 front porch.This 3-bedroom brick home, seems to be perched on a hilltop, and sitting on the ultra-private front porch gives you the feeling you are looking down from your very own tree house. A winding granite path takes you from the front porch down through the front yard to the sidewalks of N. Main Street.
 
927 N. Main is perfect for entertaining. It features a large kitchen with new cabinets and an eat-in area ~ just off of the kitchen is a large dining room ~ which leads to the spacious living room. The flow of this 1647 square foot home is graceful and accommodating. The center hallway design, complete with picture railing details for hanging your personal art collection, adds to the charm of this NOMA home. The home additionally has a very large attic space (over 600 sq feet) poised for future renovation, perhaps even a master suite or 4th bedroom could be in the planning!

If you think the front porch is private ~ the back yard will enchant your sense of privacy even more so. The yard is a garden mecca with mature walnut, pecan, and fig trees, a Zen garden, patio area, small water feature, & some custom tile work. A very nice two~car garage, currently painted a vivid sky blue, is another backdrop for garden art, setting off the mosaic work in the garden perfectly.

Speaking of garages, the parking for this NOMA home is behind the house off a rear alley. At one time, many of these early 20th century homes in Salisbury were accessed by these alleyways that threaded behind homes between two streets. Many of these alleys are gone, but 927 N. Main’s alley remains and is a delightful addition to the home.

927 N. Main is in North Main Historic District (NOMA). The North Main Historic District has both a local and national historic designation. City of Salisbury offers grant monies for exterior maintenance. North Main has a voluntary neighborhood group that works with the city to continually improve the quality of living in the district: www.north-main.org The neighborhood has recently been working with the City of Salisbury on a community appearance improvement project for the 11th Street intersection of N. Main, where residents can soon expect to see a pocket park and planting areas.

This sweet circa 1928 brick home has new HVAC, and had new electric and plumbing installed in 2008. It is move-in ready and in immaculate condition. It is rare to find such a fine home of this era in this perfect condition, and so close to downtown Salisbury amenities such as art galleries, restaurants, museums, music venues, and shopping. 927 is just two blocks from the City Park and two more from the lovely Hurley Park, making it a perfect home for the walking or jogging enthusiast, and approximately 2 miles from the Interstate, and even less to the Amtrak station, making it perfect for the travel enthusiast. We told you Location ~ Location ~ Location! This home has got it!!!


If you always dreamed of living in your own grown~up tree house, the front porch alone will have you hooked ~ but come see the rest of the charm this impeccable vintage home has to offer. Rise above it all ~ on North Main!  Call Salisbury Realtor® Greg Rapp to make an appointment for a showing ~ you will not be disappointed. You can reach Greg at 704.213.6846 to see 927 N. Main Street, Salisbury NC today! 












Greg Rapp 
Wallace Realty Co. 
704 213 6846 Mobile 
704 636 2021 Office 
www.realestatesalisbury.net 





August 04, 2013

CHESTNUT HILL ~ A Neighborhood on the Cusp of Revitalization

820 S. Jackson Street ~ Chestnut Hill Neighborhood ~ $19K
In 2001, the City of Salisbury paid for a survey looking at adding potential historic districts to the 10 districts already in place. Chestnut Hill was named as one that would likely be eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Yet in early 2013, a scheduled demolition of houses at 812 and 814 S. Jackson St. gave everything a sense of urgency. Within a matter of weeks, a task force formed and efforts began in earnest to revitalize the Chestnut Hill neighborhood just south of Salisbury’s downtown.

The Chestnut Hill Neighborhood ~ Salisbury NC
Chestnut Hill is one of the earliest subdivisions in Salisbury. It grew out of the farm and large brick home of Samuel R. Harrison that was known as Chestnut Hill. The house, torn down in the 1960s, sat a distance back from South Main Street on a significant amount of land owned by Harrison. In 1892, the Dixie Land Co. purchased Harrison’s acreage and divided it into 103 lots. South Jackson Street and South Church Street were eventually extended and joined the new streets of Chestnut, Harrison and Johnson. Principals in the Dixie Land Co. included Salisbury notables such as John Steele Henderson, the Rev. Francis Murdoch and Napoleon Bonaparte McCanless. A working-class neighborhood developed in Chestnut Hill.
City of Salisbury Neighborhood Revitalization
The new task force, led by the Historic Salisbury Foundation and local church leaders, already has outlined steps to take in revitalizing the Chestnut Hill neighborhood. They include:
  • Re-establish the historic name of “Chestnut Hill.”
  • Place signs marking its boundaries
  • Research the history of the area and its buildings
  • Take immediate steps to save and rehabilitate houses so they are ultimately occupied
  • Seek grants for emergency rehabilitations and a revolving fund for endangered historic properties
  • Seek organizations and individuals to buy and rehabilitate properties
  • Contact current owners and offer plans for assistance, including selling if desired
  • Organize for and request grants for cleaning up, painting and repairs. 
This citizen effort is unprecedented in the history of Salisbury, as it brings together a wide variety of interests to encourage, assist, and help organize this neighborhood. The effort includes the non-profit historic foundation, leaders of four historic churches in Chestnut Hill, real estate professionals, small investors, the city of Salisbury, and bordering historic district neighborhoods such as Fulton Heights and the West Square. 

Meanwhile, Historic Salisbury Foundation took a first step bought options on three South Jackson Street houses, which are now vacant. The Foundation will try to find buyers for the 1930s-era houses with hopes they become owner-occupied, placing asking prices far below the current tax values. In keeping with the Foundation’s policy, they will sell these homes with covenants to ensure they retain their exterior character and are not demolished. 


The Foundation contacted Realtor ® Greg Rapp, of Wallace Realty, to list the properties, understanding that Greg has the area’s widest breadth of knowledge of historic and aging properties and Salisbury’s historic neighborhoods. (Greg Rapp recently sold the historic Stokes-Snider House, another Historic Salisbury Foundation.) A few weeks ago, these houses were history, but Greg Rapp will give the homes the sense of urgency they deserve. The three houses in the Chestnut Hill Neighborhood for sale on South Jackson Street are: 812 S. Jackson - $15,000; 814 S. Jackson - $17,000; and 820 S. Jackson - $19,000.

814 S. Jackson Street ~ Chestnut Hill ~ SOLD ~ G. Rapp
They were right! Greg listed the three circa early 1900s homes at 812, 814, and 820 S. Jackson St., and within weeks, Greg has 814 under contract. Greg sees this first sale as the catalyst for neighborhood revitalization. These homes need plenty of TLC, but the price is right for the right buyer to step in and grease the revitalization wheel turning. 

Mary 'Minnie' Steele Scales ~ Chestnut Hill
The Chestnut Hill neighborhood, which includes the city-owned cemetery of the same name, extends roughly between South Main and South Fulton streets from Thomas Street to the cemetery. South Jackson, South Church, McCubbins, South Main, Chestnut, Harrison and Johnson streets represent the main arteries. The Chestnut Hill Cemetery, at 1134 S Main St, Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina has as many as 1,259 listings. Members of the task force realize the importance of the Chestnut Hill Cemetery to the neighborhood. It’s much like a park, with many walking and running paths, besides holding monuments memorializing some of Salisbury’s most famous residents:

  • Blackmer, Sidney--b. July 13, 1895; d. October 6, 1973. Blackmer was a motion picture and television actor best known for his role in the 1968 movie "Rosemary's Baby"
  • Blackmer, Suzanne --Sidney's wife; actor; b. March 21, 1912 d. August 27, 2004. She made over 30 movies, (8) with the Three Stooges
  • Scales, Mary Steele--b. 1840, d. 1919. Great granddaughter of John Steele, U.S. Comptroller of the Treasury, 1796
  • Others were North Carolina Senators and US Congressmen 
Chestnut Hill Bungalow Undergoing Rehabilitation
People in Chestnut Hill have been talking about the need to revitalize the neighborhood for several years. People need to know the neighborhood is safe, well-lit, has good streets and sidewalks, and is a good place to raise a family. With that in mind, the Chestnut Hill community aims to establish a neighborhood watch program modeled closely after the one in nearby Fulton Heights, and a neighborhood association and working with the city to address streetlights and signs. HSF has already begun an inventory of every property in Chestnut Hill, researching property histories through tax records, photographing their conditions, and creating a folder for each one. 

Chestnut Street Home ~ Chestnut Hill
In looking at Sanborn maps from 1931, many of the properties are no longer there. But at least half of the tax records pulled so far show homes lived in by their owners, not renters. The neighborhood has roughly 150 properties, many turn-of-the-century cottages with rocking chair porches. Other historic properties also are on a track toward demolition in Chestnut Hill, and the task force has created a preliminary “blitz list” to identify structures most in danger. While the Historic Salisbury Foundation cannot save every endangered property, choosing key residences will go a long way in leading to other improvements. In addition to the homes the Historic Salisbury Foundation has optioned, several commercial buildings in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood would be natural choices for rehabilitation using federal and state historic tax credits, since up to 40 percent of the project costs could be eligible for reimbursement. 

S. Church Street Home ~ Chestnut Hill
With overwhelming support from historic preservationists, Salisbury’s City Council recently adopted the “long-awaited” Historic Preservation Master Plan, a 72-page road map for improving the city’s preservation programs and strengthening collaboration on preservation issues. The public spoke out not only to approve the document that was two and a half years in the making, but also to support revitalization efforts in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, asking for a moratorium on demolitions in these areas and a new stabilization fund that would help rehabilitate historic homes and put them back into use. 

812 S. Jackson Street ~ Chestnut Hill ~ $15K
Historic preservation honors the past but more importantly, it embraces the future. Revitalizing Chestnut Hill will mean safety, security, and pride for residents, and help bring new people to that area, adding value to the properties and the neighborhood. Designation on the National Registry of Historic Places would benefit property owners on rehabilitation expenses by providing significant tax credits. 

If you are the right person, the person who relishes being a part of a holistic revitalization effort, the person who can purchase a home slated for demolition but worthy of preservation and rehabilitation. . . contact Greg Rapp at 704.213.6846 ~ your adventure is about to begin! One of these homes is already under contract…don’t wait! It’s an exciting beginning, and you can be part of it from the ground up! 


August 01, 2013

Looking for that Perfect Craftsman Era Home? Salisbury NC Has It!!

Salisbury North Carolina has a rich stock of historic and vintage homes, ranging in age and styles from the late 1700's to the early 1900's.  Residential architecture in the early 1900's, thankfully, gave us the beautifully designed and constructed Craftsman homes as a part of the Arts & Crafts Movement that swept the country.
You're looking for that perfect Craftsman home, with all the rich detail, warm woods, tile, built-ins, and glass. You've come to the right place! Salisbury has a wealth of Craftsman era homes, from the charming single story bungalow styles to the larger, grand scale, two-story Arts & Crafts masterpieces.

Craftsman Home c 1924 ~ SOLD
 
Greg Rapp is the area's most knowledgeable Realtor® for historic, vintage, and antique homes. For example, Greg Rapp just sold this prime specimen of a circa 1924 Arts & Crafts home, 117 Circle Drive in Salisbury NC ~ resplendent with rich warm wood trim, beveled glass, built-in cabinetry, subway tiles, and hardwood floors ~ in just 30 days.

301 Marsh Street ~ circa 1925 Craftsman ~ FOR SALE
Yet ~ it is by no means too late to get your hand on another marvelous authentic Arts & Crafts home!  Another prime brick circa 1925 Craftsman home awaits! The majestic two~story home at 301 Marsh Street could not be a more perfect example of the fine workmanship and design that set the Arts & Crafts era apart from so many other architectural design periods. This home ~ offered for sale at $375,000 ~ is also not only resplendent with the details that make the Craftsman home so special ~ 301 Marsh Street is additionally located in Salisbury's original Historic District ~ the prestigious West Square, where tree-lined sidewalks and a plethora of antique homes reign!

The “Craftsman” in the Craftsman Style name reflects not only a love for the design of the home, but more fundamentally, a standard of quality and sustainability. Many of this 301 Marsh Street home’s features typify Craftsman homes ~ original leaded glass, artisan woodwork, and a marvelous collection of French doors throughout the main floor.

301 Marsh Street is the one of the largest vintage Craftsman style homes offered for sale now in Salisbury, North Carolina. The home, built in 1925, is truly a craftsman’s dream home, with exceptional quality and attention to detail throughout the home obvious in both its historic and updated aspects. The property consists of 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, large living and dining rooms, den, breakfast room, not one but TWO butler’s pantries, a glorious light-filled sunroom, and spacious front porch, all within the home's 3,500 SF of living space. This vintage Craftsman Marsh Street home features an amazing quantity of ash moldings and finish work, oak flooring, and a handcrafted mantel piece at the living room fireplace.


To see the splendor of this prime Craftsman era masterpiece, call Greg Rapp today at 704.213.6846. Let Greg show you the advantages of a home life rich in character and history.  This charming artisan home in the City of Salisbury NC is the perfect place to fulfill your vision of life in a beautiful small town in an authentic 1925 Arts & Crafts home


Authentic Arts & Crafts Home ~ circa 1925 ~ 301 W. Marsh Street ~ $375,000