From a lumber yard to a roofing company: Garcia Roofing and Sheet Metal, a fast-growing Prairieville business, has purchased a building near the East Baton Rouge-Ascension parish line for $1.1 million. The company bought the former Bailey Lumber building at Airline and Opportunity Drive, says Scott Guidry, an agent with Sealy & Falgoust. Jonathan Woolley, Garcia’s CFO, says the plan is to remodel the building and move its re-roofing and commercial division in there. The work should be completed in about 90 days.
Good trend to go against: Foreclosures nationwide grew 24% during the first quarter of this year, according to the foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. Louisiana’s rate grew 1.7% in comparison. Nevada tops the foreclosure list, with one in 27 homes receiving a foreclosure filing. Louisiana ranked 40th. During the first quarter, Louisiana foreclosure filings were reported on 1,971 properties compared to 41,296 properties for Nevada.
Back in business: Home Furniture has signed a 10-year lease for the old Linens ’N Things building adjacent to the Mall of Louisiana and plans to open its second Baton Rouge store there. Officials with Lafayette-based Home Furniture say the 32,400-square-foot store should be open by June. Home Furniture has a store on Airline Highway. The Linens ’N Things building has been vacant since late last year, when the chain went out of business. Home Furniture also signed a lease for the empty Linens ‘N Things building in Lafayette.
