Brick District hosting vacant building tours Saturday

Several area Realtors and landlords will have the opportunity to tour several vacant buildings in the Brick District that are ready for new businesses from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday downtown.

"Area Realtors and building owners have agreed to open the doors of these properties which are ready and waiting for the right businesses to occupy them," Bruce Hackmann, president of the Fulton Area Development Foundation (FADF) and a member of the Brick District Committee, stated in a press release.

Hackmann said he's already received great feedback from many landlords and Realtors already indicating that they'll have a representative participate in the building tours.

"Everyone that we've asked to participate in the open house responded favorably and we (the committee) were very, very, pleased with that," Hackmann said.

A host or hostess will offer tours and hand out district information with building details, Hackmann said.

"We're just looking for people who are thinking about starting a business or need space for a business," Hackmann said. "This is an opportunity for them to see multiple available buildings at the same time."

The buildings on display offer "prime ground floor retail and dining ready locations," the press release stated.

"This is kind of a new endeavor for us, but we hope with the promotional aspects of this - we've gone to great lengths to promote and market this event - and we hope that that will result in generating traffic through those buildings. (To) increase the traffic in the Brick District is a benefit to everyone," Hackmann said.

Hackmann elaborated on what he considers the "right" business for the district, saying the ultimate goal of the open house is to add more businesses that will compliment the existing businesses in the Brick District that will help the area thrive.

He said he could identify specific types of businesses, but he wanted to focus on securing businesses that offer potential staying power and could increase traffic in the downtown area.

In the press release, Hackmann mentioned the considerable effort the committee's made to beautify the downtown area for current businesses and customers and hopes that effort will attract new businesses.

"Court Street between 5th and 6th Streets now boast new benches, trash receptacles, and light poles," Hackmann said in the news release. "In addition, new businesses will benefit from the Art House which is bringing in new customers who are interested in viewing exhibits or wish to learn how to paint and create jewelry."

Brick District members are confident that once the renovated Brick District Playhouse, the former historic Fulton Theatre, opens, it will be a hot spot for Fulton entertainment-seekers during weekends and evenings. Since the Playhouse Bistro is anticipated to open this month, Hackmann said in the release, "Now is the perfect time for new businesses to join this exciting renaissance of downtown Fulton. Community members are being very proactive to ensure that Fulton's downtown is an inviting place to shop, seek entertainment, and enjoy great food."

Another part of the city's plan to revitalize the downtown area is targeting prospective new businesses with an informational packet.

"The packet contains economic and demographic information related to the downtown area plus details of the culture of the Fulton community," Well Read Books owner Brian Warren said in the release.

Warren was appointed to a commission by Mayor LeRoy Benton to compose the packet.

Warren noted in the release that the FADF "received $750,000 in revolving low interest loans that can then be passed on to new businesses."

Hackmann emphasized that the open house event is strictly sponsored by the Brick District.

"We want to see what kind of response there can be to this, and since it's held in conjunction with the Autumn on the Bricks that the Brick District is sponsoring, it means we're going to have more people already in the downtown area in the Brick District, and so that alone we think that we can feed off of."