When I wrote I Didn’t Just Buy a Building, I Solved a Problem back in August, I said this building was going to come back one piece at a time. I meant it, and we’re two pieces in.
The First One Went Fast
Unit 6 was our first finished apartment here. The crew cleared it out and rebuilt it. Quality Home Locator shared the inside story of that renovation, and BACH used it to explain what “value-add” really looks like.
What I didn’t fully expect was how quickly it rented. A renter was lined up before the last coat of paint was dry, and they moved in just days after the crew left. That told me something important: people want to live downtown. They just need a place that’s been done right.
The Second One Is Ready
So we kept going. 240 1/2 Main St, the apartment above the storefront at 240, is finished and available to rent now.
It got everything Unit 6 got: new kitchen, new floors, new lighting, fresh paint. It also got some things only a crew would appreciate. The tub and shower were rebuilt and retiled. A new gas line went in for the range. And the team chased down water leaks between the apartment and the storefront underneath it, then fixed them. That last one matters to me. It means the next business that opens downstairs won’t start out with a ceiling problem it didn’t create.
Quality Home Locator has all the details on 240 1/2. BACH covers what it means for investors.
Now I Want to Fill the Storefronts
Two finished apartments upstairs means more people living on this block. Those people need somewhere to grab coffee, get a haircut, or shop on their way home. That’s why I keep talking about the two empty storefronts on Main Street. We still have commercial space available, and it’s ready for someone with an idea.
If you’ve been thinking about starting a business, here’s something I wish more people knew. You don’t have to do it alone, and you may not have to pay for all of it yourself. The City of Decatur and its partners have programs that can help cover some of the costs of opening up, including matching grants for storefront improvements, small business loans through the Community Investment Corporation of Decatur, and a sales-tax break on building materials inside the Enterprise Zone. Not every business will qualify for every program, and funding comes in rounds. But the help is real, and we’ll help you find it.
Let’s Talk
This building is better than it was in August. I want it to be better still by next spring, and the fastest way there is with people who want to be part of it.
Need a place to live? Call Quality Home Locator at (217) 864-6485 or send them a message to see 240 1/2.
Want to open a business on Main Street? Reach out about the commercial units. Tell us your idea, and we’ll walk you through the space and the City programs that may help.
Want to invest in projects like this one? Contact BACH and ask how you can own a piece of Decatur’s comeback.
One light on upstairs became two. Let’s keep going.
