Campbell-Bell Renovation to Begin in August
by July 12, 1999 12:00 am 285 views
Old Navy store planned for Spring Creek Centre; natural foods store planning move to Evelyn Hills
The sale of the Campbell-Bell building on the downtown Fayetteville square should be completed this month and renovation is expected to begin in August.
Sixth Street Development Co. is buying the building for $730,000. The company – which consists of Rob Merry-Ship, Richard Alexander and Lamar Anderson – plans to renovate the historic 24,000-SF retail store to be used for offices, apartments and retail shops. Renovation is expected to take about one year to complete. The building will have a “Mediterranean/New Orleans style,” according to a proposal by May Construction Co.
Sixth Street Development Co. is also responsible for the renovation of the Ozark Theater building and the Rollston Building, both in Fay-etteville.
The three-story Campbell-Bell building has been empty since the store closed in 1995. The store had been a fixture on the west side of the square since the early part of the century.
Merry-Ship says the group had been working on the purchase for the past three years. The building was owned by members of the Block family.
Merry-Ship says the renovation will return the building to its historical appearance. He says three condominiums will be available for purchase on the second floor. Each one will be 2,500 SF in size with a balcony and will sell for $250,000 before the spaces are filled out.
“We’re going to find out right now whether people want high-end residential down on the square,” Merry-Ship says.
A corridor will dissect the building and allow for foot traffic through to the parking lot in the rear. Merry-Ship is looking for retail tenants and perhaps a restaurant for the first floor.
So far, two local business owners have expressed interest in spaces in the building. A health-club owner is looking at the building’s 4,000-SF basement, and a restaurant owner may open an ice cream shop on the first floor.
Merry-Ship says space in the building may be divided to suit tenants.