Realtors group completes purchase of downtown BR home for new headquarters

The Louisiana Realtors Association is closing today on the historic downtown home at 821 Main St. that will be the site of its new headquarters. The sale comes almost six months after the association filed for permits to demolish the 90-year-old home to make way for a new office building. But after preservationists objected, it agreed to reconsider its request and eventually settled on a plan for an adaptive reuse. “This is a fantastic opportunity, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the downtown community,” says Norman Morris, executive director of LR, which is buying the property from Collis Temple, Jr. The sale price for the 4,500-square-foot building is approximately $650,000, though once renovations are completed the total investment in downtown will exceed $2 million, Morris says. Preliminary plans call for renovating the existing 4,500-square-foot structure and adding an additional 4,500 square feet onto the back of the house. State and federal historic tax credits will be used to help finance the renovation, which is being designed by architect Buddy Ragland at Coleman Partners Architects. Cangelosi Ward is the contractor. —Stephanie Riegel