Commercial Opportunities Abound in Salisbury, North Carolina!

Now is the time to take advantage of the commercial opportunities in historic Downtown Salisbury, NC!

The ca. 1882 Bernhardt Hardware Building

If you've driven down North Main Street in Salisbury, North Carolina lately . . . you can't miss the hustle and bustle that's going on in the 100 block ~ where massive renovations are full-speed-ahead on the historic circa 1882 Bernhardt Hardware Building!  Salisbury City Council just unanimously approved incentive grants for the renovation of the Bernhardt Building on N. Main Street. 

The structure, formerly home to Bernhardt Hardware, is being re-developed for commercial and residential use by Calm Holdings LLC. The grants total $148,155 and will go toward renovation of the building, water and sewer infrastructure and fire-suppression utilities. Once renovated, plans call for the 16,000-square-foot building to have six apartments in the upper level and 7,000+ square feet of commercial space on the first floor. 

Realtor® Greg Rapp sold this important property to Calm Holdings to kick-start this vibrant downtown revitalization. You can contact Greg at (704) 213-6846 to learn more about the available commercial spaces (some are already claimed!) or the residential units above! 

And there are more valuable opportunities in Downtown Salisbury . . . and with the Bernhardt Hardware Building on fast track to completion, these opportunities will be ever more popular!

The ca. 1902 Washington Building

The fabulous Washington Building, directly across from the Bernhardt Hardware renovations, is for sale!  This incredible building must be seen to be believed! The Washington Building at 118 North Main Street was built in 1902 in a Richardsonian Romanesque style, finished with rough-cut granite stones, and boasting beautiful rounded arched windows and a Spanish Mission style element in the shaped gable at the roof line.  

This 3-story, 20,000+ square foot building, with retail space on its street level and office/meeting rooms above, retains many of its original circa 1902 features, such as the imposing grand wood staircase, original doors with transom windows, original light fixtures, and plenty more. The amount of stained and finished, intact original woodwork on this floor is astounding. Meeting rooms and offices alike feature large double-hung windows with broad decorative transoms and deep wood sills and casings, and stained wood baseboard molding. The pebble glass transomed windows and fine woodwork is completely in tact. 

And when you're ready to be completely blown away by the Washington Building's features...visit the 3rd floor...with two large front rooms that face Main Street, and feature the two immense arched windows that are part of the Washington Building’s impressive façade characteristics. The large northeast room has gorgeous brick walls and original fireplace that shares the original chimney with the second floor fireplace. An immense ballroom-esque room sits to the rear of the third floor that is crying out to be a party room or film studio. The room is huge! You will have to see it for yourself! 

Beautifully renovated (awarded the Best Historic Rehabilitation and was the 2005 NC Main Street Award Winner ), this over 20,000 square foot property is for sale for just $650,000.  The top two floors of the building are handsomely restored office space, and the building can be converted to a live-work situation if desired. You, too, can take advantage of the new incentives program for downtown building recently adopted by the City of Salisbury. This building is like no other in Salisbury, and is one of the most impressive buildings along Main Street. Call Greg Rapp at 704.213.6846 to have a look and get in on the Downtown Salisbury movement! 

The ca. 1930 Flowers Bakery Building

Not ready to buy? Perhaps leasing is your preferred option! Check out the former East Square Artworks space on the main floor at 122-B East Innes Street! WOW!  Originally the c. 1930's historic Flowers Bakery Building, and formerly the home/studio of Michael Baker sculpture artist, the building boasts 4500+ square feet of space for lease!  Right smack in the center of Downtown Salisbury, and a stone's throw from Interstate-85, and with great parking availability all around it...this space is IDEAL for any number of enterprises! 

With the coming update of the Bernhardt Hardware Building (soon to be retail on street level with 6-residential spaces above), this might be the time to scoop up this awesome space - located directly behind the exciting Bernhardt Hardware renovation! 

Give Greg a call at 704.213.6846 to see this great space and to get the jump on this awesome opportunity to be at the hub of a downtown revitalization! 

The Wallace Building

For over 20 years, the Wallace Building at 122 East Fisher Street was the home of Las Palmas restaurant...a favorite local watering hole and eatery that featured live music, a full bar, and great menus.  The wonderful ground floor restaurant/bar area looks like it's right out of an old Western movie, complete with its long, curved bar, staircase to the second-story balcony that encircles the room, and hanging light fixtures.  In your imagination, you can almost hear old honky-tonk piano music coming from the corners and picture cowboys toppling from the balcony and swinging from the chandeliers!

Recently renovated, the Wallace Building is the centerpiece of Downtown Salisbury's 'Brick Street' entertainment district....so called because the City repaved this portion of E. Fisher Street with brick, lined it with strands of glove lights, and hosts many street festivals and outdoor concerts in this area.  The Wallace Building has a great multi-space parking lot that goes with this 3-story building (call for information about the upper levels) ~ a rarity and treasured feature in Downtown Salisbury!  The Fisher / S. Lee / S. Main / Innes Street block is home to at perhaps a dozen or more restaurants, wine shops, and pubs ~ creating a thriving downtown culture!  

Give Greg Rapp a shout - 704.213.6846 - to get in on the entertainment scene in Salisbury!

Opportunities Abound!

These are just three of the special opportunities in Downtown Salisbury! There are more ~ from small office or retail spaces, to large properties with potential for retail, residential and more! And don't forget the City's incentive program. The City of Salisbury is very supportive of new development in its downtown area! And Greg Rapp is the agent to call ~ with more knowledge and experience with these fabulous buildings than any other in the area!  Pick up the phone ~ 704.213.6846!

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

City Life ~ The Opportunity is NOW in Downtown Salisbury, North Carolina

What attracts us to city life? 

A new survey offers some insights. A thousand urbanites - young and old - across major cities in the U.S. were contacted by Sasaki Associates, a planning and design firm based outside of Boston. The survey confirms what many of us who live in major cities already know to be true - there are so many opportunities to eat great food, see new things, and people watch, why would you want to live anywhere else? Who needs the lull of the country when you have the run of the arts & music scene, street festivals, awesome restaurants, and basically something different every night?

 

What do you love most about your city?

More than 40 percent cited the restaurants and food; while 32 percent said local attractions; 24 percent said historic places and landmarks; 21 percent said cultural offerings; 17 percent said parks and public spaces; and 16 percent said fairs and festivals. Some 15 percent said "the people," while another 10 percent said they like the architecture the most, and 9 percent said the local sports scene. Clearly, big cities can support a diverse slate of restaurants - and in Salisbury, North Carolina there is a variety from Thai and sushi to Italian or Tex-Mex, so it's easy to understand that culinary adventures, which are affordable, draw the most love.

Where do your favorite experiences happen?

A majority of people (65 percent) remember their favorite city experience taking place outdoors, either in a park or on a street. Interestingly, a minority -- just 22 percent -- said their favorite experience happened in a building. This is perhaps because urbanites are constantly stuck indoors to begin with. Nearly a third prefer large open parks, while 14 percent prefer small urban spaces, and 8 percent love their city's trail system the most ~ Salisbury Greenway anyone?   

 
37 percent of those surveyed wish their cities would make streets more pedestrian/bike friendly; 36 percent support adding outdoor music and entertainment venues; and 31 percent desire more small urban parks." Salisbury has parks and green spaces ranging from beautiful little downtown pocket parks to our wonderful City Park and Hurley Park.  The City has a Bike Plan Proposal on the books! We can't wait to see it developed! And our outdoor street festivals happen monthly throughout the year!

What makes a city's buildings iconic?

While buildings appeal less than outdoor spaces, some 36 percent said the historic nature of the building, while 30 percent said "great architecture," and another 24 percent said a building's "unique design." A majority (57 percent) will stop and look at a historic building, while just 19 percent will do the same for a modern one. Those old buildings that have made it, that have fended off redevelopment, deserve some respect. And Salisbury is recognized nationwide for its preservation movement that has kept alive beautiful downtown architecture dating from the 1800s!

What do you like least about getting around in cities?

More than 40 percent said there's "too much traffic," while 23 percent cited the lack of parking.  These complaints reveal how Americans, even urbanites, get around: 58 percent use cars frequently, while 29 percent use public transportation. Another 10 percent try to walk everywhere and just 2 percent use bikes.  Salisbury NC does not have the fierce traffic snarls that many larger cities deal with on a daily basis.  While many will say parking is an issue, there are actually many municipal lots that for some reason go unused....an awareness problem city activists are working on!

Surveys like these are important so that we understand how to attract as many people as possible to cities, because urban life is central to a more sustainable future. In cities, per-capita carbon emissions and energy and water use are much lower. But beyond the metrics, cities can just be great places to live in -- if they are designed to be livable and beautiful, filled with outdoor spaces, things to do, and historic buildings. (Adapted from an article by Jared Green, New Survey Uncovers the Lure of the City, www.huffingtonpost.com, Posted: 09/25/2014)

The cities in the survey must be doing some of these things right: Some 60 percent of respondents said they will still be in their city five years from now. Now, we just need to increase those numbers for all cities ~ including Salisbury, North Carolina...and Greg Rapp, Realtor® with Wallace Realty, has just the solution!


Witness the Bernhardt Hardware Building on the 100 block of N. Main Street in Salisbury NC.  The circa 1882 Bernhardt Hardware building enjoyed a long history of being...yes!...a hardware store!  Recently purchased by Central Piedmont Builders, the multi-store front space is now enjoying a complete renovation.  

Retail spaces and restaurants are due to fill the 1st floor level . . . but upstairs ~ WOW! 

New second-story residential apartments are creating that much desired urban living space ~ in the center of downtown overlooking the historic Main Street architecture and vitality of the cityscape.

Many others have started to live in Downtown Salisbury, and that number is climbing.  Of note is the restoration at  101 S. Main Street, once a tumble-down soccer shop on the street level with raggle-taggle apartments above . . . the space is now the stunning and award-winning 101 Pottery with high-style living space above.
  
 
The Kress Building on S. Main Street is a wonderful example of downtown living condos in Salisbury.  Second story apartments look down upon E. Innes Street above shops and restaurants there. 

And the Plaza Building, a landmark at the main intersection of Main Street and Innes Street in the center of downtown has a waiting list for its residential spaces!  When you lease one of the new apartments in the Bernhardt Hardware Building...you'll be in good company!


The time is right to escape the lull of suburban living, move to the city, and experience the urban lifestyle that is central to a more sustainable future.  The time is right to move to Downtown Salisbury, to be exact! It's time to call Greg Rapp at (704) 213-6846 to sign up for one of the new Bernhardt Building Loft Apartments ~ with city views, walk-ability, and have the run of the arts & music scene, street festivals, awesome restaurants, and basically something different every night!

 

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

Showing Residential Spaces in the Bernhardt Hardware Building

The circa 1882 Bernhardt Hardware building at 113-117 North Main Street in Salisbury, North Carolina is undergoing extensive renovation that will create three new retail or business spaces on the street level, and six exciting new residential spaces on the second story!
 

Realtor® Greg Rapp has already begun showing the residential apartments that will line the upper level!  The only 1-bedroom space has already been leased, but (5) more opportunities are available!  There is one 3-bedroom space and (4) 2-bedroom units available for lease.  Contact Greg at (704) 213-6846. The spaces are merely framed out, so you must use your imagination when taking a visit, but renovations are expected to be complete by January 2015!  Picture yourself looking out of the three arched windows that overlook main street in your new downtown loft apartment!
 

One apartment, the pièce de résistance, will be two-story, with it's own rear access from the large parking area and an upper mezzanine level that overlooks the 1st floor living spaces where the Master Bedroom and Bath will reside.  We're very excited to see these when they are complete!  And we're thrilled that more residential areas are coming to Downtown Salisbury to grace its already vibrant arts & cultural scene with more feet on the street!  

Greg Rapp of Wallace Realty is showing and signing leases for these spots today!  The retail 1st level is filling as well, so if you are interested in moving your business to this great new space ~ give Greg a call at (704) 213-6846!   

Get a jump on this wonderful new opportunity in Downtown Salisbury, North Carolina!

704.213.6846 

Editor's note:  

The photographs used in this article are for conceptual use and may not accurately reflect the finished spaces for this project.

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

Living in the City! Why You Should . . . and Can Soon!

Editors Note: All the first story retail spaces, in what is now known as the Bernhardt Luxury Lofts, are filled, and all but two apartments are leased. Call Greg Rapp at 704.214.6846 for more info. (5/23/2015) 

Urban homes that are carved out of grand old buildings offer irreplaceable design traits along with a few challenges.

Often, older urban structures contain brilliant architectural characteristics that are part and parcel of a bygone building standard: soaring ceilings, hardwood floors, lots of windows, and rich finish materials generally used in lobbies or elevators. With the benefits of urban life becoming clearer and clearer, it's no wonder that people are showing a strong preference for it.

Americans are leaning towards a pronounced shift in the housing market over the past decade, with a preference for urban living, more demand for walkability, mixed uses, and access to public transit. Couple these trends with abundant recreational opportunities, urban green spaces, and well-designed
residential infrastructure, and the future of cities looks very bright.

Cities are smarter for you

Because higher density and mixed uses promote more casual exercise, larger cities often are healthier. Every 30 minutes per day spent in a car increases the likelihood of obesity by three percent, whereas walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods decrease it by seven percent.  Polls show that the longer your commute, the lower your well-being.  Decentralization, fragmentation and longer commutes can significantly hinder the ability to form community ties, research reveals.

Cities are smarter for the economy 

Cities are economic engines! As population density rises, so do wages and productivity: for every 50-percent swelling in density, productivity grows by 2-4 percent. In most states, just one or two metropolitan areas account for the majority of the state's GDP.  Often, one city alone accounts for the bulk of economic output.  Cities bring opportunities for wealth and for creative inspiration that results from face-to-face
contact with others. The interaction of people living in close quarters fosters the kind of collaborative creativity that has produced some of humanity's best ideas. Cities breed innovation by putting people with diverse views in close proximity, fostering "cauldrons of creativity."

Cities are smarter for the environment 

Urban development is significantly more efficient with resources, because higher density yields lower waste. A recent Berkeley study revealed that the average footprint for households in major urban areas is less than half the national average, while it can be twice the average in suburbs. New York, the largest U.S. city, is also the greenest by far for per-capita consumption. Its carbon emissions are less than a third the national average, and electricity use is 75 percent lower than Dallas. Because walking and public transit are popular, gasoline consumption now approximates U.S. levels from the 1920s. Denser land use also preserves more area for natural development. According to estimates, a single acre of forest absorbs enough carbon and produces enough oxygen to meet the annual needs of 18 people. Reforesting the land of a single Big Box retail site can nullify the environmental footprint of over 300 people.  (Hosey, L., Why Cities Are Smarter, Huffingtonpost.com, Posted: 03/06/2014)

Live in Downtown Salisbury NC

The City of Salisbury, North Carolina, recently adopted Revitalization Incentive Grants for the downtown area, or what is know here as the Municipal Service District (MSD).  The grants encourage development of existing buildings and the creation of residential units in the downtown.  Enter...the historic Bernhardt Hardware Building!

Bernhardt Hardware, oil on canvas, by Robert Toth

The c. 1882 Bernhardt Hardware Store finally closed for business after having been the City of Salisbury's downtown hardware source as far back as 1927.  Developers purchased the Main Street building in 2013 via Realtor® Greg Rapp and, after meeting with architects and designers, began work on the historic structure in earnest mid-2014.


Plans are moving full-speed-ahead to have retail, offices, and a restaurant on the street level...but the really exciting development will be the (6) new loft-style residential spaces on the upper level (drawings courtesy of Stout Studio Architecture).

Apartment #5, the only 1-bedroom space, is already rented!

But there are 5 more available!  Apartment #3 is a 3-bedroom space ($2,000/month), and the remainder are 2-bedroom spaces ($1,200/month).  Call Greg Rapp of Wallace Realty, who is managing the leasing for the residential spaces, at (704) 213-6846 to get a jump on these living spaces!

Our favorite is Apartment #6, which will be a 2-story space with it's own entry from the rear parking lot, and a wonderful mezzanine level overlooking the first floor ($2,000/month)!  This apartment will feature a seamless kitchen/dining/living area on the first floor, which will be open to the soaring height of the second story ceiling, and will include a 1st floor bedroom, office, or guest room, and ground level bath.

Up the staircase to the mezzanine, you'll find the Master Bedroom with full bath and plenty of closet and storage space!  (Note: the photo here is presented as conceptual and may not be an accurate representation of the finished space.)

One of the more desirable qualities of an urban homes like what we are soon to see in the Bernhardt Hardware space is achieved by the long, tall windows that not only define a room, but also increase the sense of space with panoramic views. The sight of cityscapes, skylines, boulevards, fountains, and bustling streets provides an excitement reserved for city living.  (Note: the photo here is presented as conceptual and may not be an accurate representation of the finished space.)

The Bernhardt Hardware Building renovations, at 113 N. Main Street in Salisbury, NC, are slated to be complete by January 2015. If city living in one of these fabulous newly appointed apartments in a historic 1882 building is up your alley...give Greg Rapp a call: (704)213-6846. We are signing leases NOW!

(Note: the photo here is presented as conceptual and may not be an accurate representation of the finished space.)

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

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!