The Louisiana Realtors Association has filed for a plan review application with the Department of Public Works for the renovation of its new headquarters at 821 Main St. and hopes to begin construction on the historic structure before the end of the year. The $2 million project will include a renovation of the existing 3,786-square-foot building—a 93-year-old historic home—and the construction of a new 5,051-square-foot addition. Construction is expected to take 10 to 12 months.
“We haven’t set the date for a firm groundbreaking but we are hopeful it will be some time in December,” says LR Executive Director Norman Morris.
Site prep work is already under way at the location, and a large sign prominently displays a rendering of what the facility will look like when completed. LR acquired the property earlier this year for $650,000 and originally planned to demolish the home to make way for a newly constructed building. But when preservationists objected, they revised their plans and decided instead to do a renovation and addition.
Coleman Partners is the architect. Cangelosi Ward is the general contractor. Derek Fitch, who has experience renovating historic buildings downtown, is also working with the realtors as project manager. See a rendering of the new building. —Stephanie Riegel
