$20 Million Blass Building Redevelopment Announced For Downtown Little Rock

The Doyle Rogers Co. and Moses Tucker Real Estate announced plans for a $20 million mixed-use development of the old Blass Department Store building on Main Street in Little Rock.

The building was originally built in 1906 as the flagship store for Blass.

The new development, located at 317 Main Street, will feature office space, ground-floor retail, and loft-style multifamily residential accommodations.

Doyle Rogers was the developer of the Excelsior Hotel (now the Peabody Hotel) and the Rogers Building (now the Stephens Building) — two premiere structures in the Little Rock skyline. Jimmy Moses and Rett Tucker, principal of Moses Tucker, have developed and renovated a number of downtown buildings during the last two decades.

“Doyle Rogers had the vision to to acquire this real estate over 12 years ago in anticipation of the time when we felt redevelopment of Main Street was right,” said Tommy Lasiter, CEO and President of Doyle Rogers Company. “The time has now come.”

The Blass building is the first joint venture for Rogers and Moses Tucker.

In announcing the redevelopment plans, the companies disclosed that the state of Arkansas’ Office of Child Support Enforcement would locate more than 200 employees on several floors of the building.

The project is expected to still allow another 100,000 sq. ft. of first-class office space, 6-8 ground floor retail/restaurant bays, and 20 loft-style apartments.

AMR Architects will oversee the design work. Construction will begin in June and is expected to be completed in mid-2013.