Fricks Furniture properties sold for $1.5M

FB Taylor Holdings LLC is the local buyer.

The Fricks Furniture properties in the 400 block of Broad Street in downtown Rome have been sold to FB Taylor Holdings, led by Fred B. Taylor, CEO and president of OTR Wheel Engineering of Rome. The sale, which includes a half dozen separate parcels, was completed for $1.5 million.

Real estate agent Steve Graves, who handled the sale for Hardy Realty, said he was unaware of any specific plans the Taylor family may have for the building at the this time.

“This is going to be my project,” said Chad Taylor, Fred’s son, who is a vice president at OTR. “We’re probably going to develop it with mixed use,” he added. The ground floor could handle three retail spaces. He said he’s already been talking with a restaurant that he believes Rome would be very interested in. “It would be something more of an upscale type of restaurant,” Chad said.

“We may take the top floor and look at maybe dividing that up and making a couple of executive suites up there. That’s not for sure yet but it’s part of the thought process,” Chad said. “The middle floor we’re looking at putting in lofts or apartments.”

The Bliss Hair Salon on East First Street is part of the sale and it will not be impacted

“It’s the largest footprint on Broad Street, so there are lots of possibilities,” said Steven McDowell, chairman of the Downtown Development Authority. “In my opinion, it will be the shiny penny on Broad Street,” Graves said.

Chad Taylor said one thing that is almost a certainty is that a parking deck will be constructed on the back side of the building with entrances to all three levels.

Greg Fricks shut the family furniture store down in January after a previous deal to sell the building appeared imminent. However that deal, which involved the creation of a boutique hotel, fell through.

“I don’t really think we’re going to be doing anything for a couple of months, we’re still working with engineers to see exactly how it could best be turned around,” Chad Taylor said.

Doug Walker / RN-T Chad Taylor says the one thing that is virtually certain in the future for the Fricks Furniture building is a parking deck on the back side shown in this photo. Taylor said ground floor retail space on the broad Street frontage may well include an upscale restaurant. FBTaylor Holdings bought the property Thursday.