$50M Lewter District project takes shape downtown
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The Lewter District's 14 luxury townhomes are set for completion by the end of April. Photo: Derek Lacey/Axios
Developers are preparing to cut the ribbon on the 1.5-acre Lewter District in Huntsville.
Why it matters: An effort that began with repurposing the historic Lewter Hardware building is now aiming to establish a mixed-use area downtown.
Catch up quick: Developed by Emergent Properties and RNGD, the $50 million project includes the repurposing of the Lewter Hardware building and the construction of a five-story office building and 14 luxury townhomes.
- The former hardware store building now houses New Orleans-based RNGD's Huntsville office and restaurant Brick & Tin.
Catch up quick: The beloved hardware store closed in October 2022 after nearly 100 years in business, and the city renamed a 350-foot section of Meridian Street as Lewter Way.
What they're saying: "We're ecstatic to be able to save that historic structure and repurpose it," said D.J. Benedetto, mid-south sector leader with RNGD.
- Benedetto told Axios the company's offices in New Orleans and Nashville are also in repurposed buildings.
- RNGD's office includes original exposed brick and other features of the building, and an old mural for Yucatan Gum was restored, said Ellie Workman, assistant project manager.
Zoom in: Across the street, at the site of a former warehouse for the hardware store, is the five-story Class A office building, two floors of which are already used by law firm Maynard Nexsen.
- On the ground floor along Lewter Way, 4,500 square feet of retail space includes a front porch area and can also be built out into a restaurant, said Skyler Foster, RNGD superintendent.
- RNGD self-performed the structural steel for the building and prefabricated the exterior walls in New Orleans, trucking them in to be lifted into place, Benedetto said.
How it works: A private alley behind the townhomes was a key feature requiring close work with the city — grouping utilities in one spot to prevent extensive disruptions on Washington Street, Benedetto said.
- Five of the 14 luxury townhomes are already sold, Workman told Axios. They vary in style and size from 2,500 to 2,700 square feet.