A historic Railroad Avenue building in Donaldsonville is headed for renovations, with one of its longtime tenants preparing to expand following the property’s recent $265,000 sale.
William Dawson, through a Columbia Private Trust entity, acquired the three-story building, which dates to 1895, from the Masons of Ascension Lodge 251 F&M, according to a transaction filed with the Ascension Parish Clerk of Court’s office.
Shane Guillot of Guillot Properties represented Dawson in the transaction, while Charley Robinson of Homestead Realty represented the seller.
Cane Sugar Toffee Company, owned by the Savoie family, will remain on the first floor and grow into an adjoining space.
“The coffee and toffee man is going to stay there, and he is going to expand his floor space into the other, the second side of that first floor,” Guillot tells Ascension Business Report. “Each floor is about 3,000 square feet.”
The Masons will continue occupying the top floor for at least another year under a lease agreement while they search for a new location. It is not yet clear where they will relocate.
Work on the second floor will initially focus on structural repairs, electrical and plumbing upgrades, painting and cleanup. Dawson has not yet decided whether the space will ultimately be used for offices or residences.
“My last conversation with him, he wasn’t sure if he was going to use that as office space or for residential use,” Guillot says. “Hopefully he’ll get a little better idea of what he’s going to do with it over the next 90 to 120 days.”
The renovations could take as little as six months with a full construction crew or about a year if the work is completed more gradually, Guillot notes.
The sale also comes with an unusual piece of local history. As part of the agreement, Guillot says, the Masons retained the right to open the building’s cornerstone, remove relics dating to the late 1800s and early 1900s, and then reseal it.
Beyond the transaction, Guillot says commercial interest in Donaldsonville is beginning to pick up again. That includes renewed attention from Korean investors after uncertainty surrounding the Hyundai steel project temporarily slowed activity.
“I’ve heard my buddy call it the Hyundai ripple effect,” Guillot says. “They are now starting to come back to the table.”
