Hope for the Brundidge Building

Pictured: The Brundidge Building located at 105 West Second Street in downtown Hope

HOPE – A bright future for Hope’s downtown is looming with the hopeful restoration of the Brundidge building located at 105 West Second Street in downtown. Alan and Jennifer Martin recently purchased the building from Steve Harris with the intention of making it a staple of our town’s center. The building was built in 1893 by Samuel W. Brundidge, who was an early brick mason and builder. Over the years, it has been home to various stores such as Hitt’s Shoe Store on the first floor, and then Shipley’s Photography Studio and the Elks Club on the second floor. Historically, Scott’s Department Store and TG & Y occupied the entire downstairs area until about 1973. Since then, the building has been vacant for fifty years.

The Martins were searching for opportunities in the downtown retail area, and the opportunity presented itself with the state offering tax credits for the restoration of a historic building, which fit the Brundidge building, as it is on the National Register of Historic Places.

We visited Mr. Martin’s office and asked him a few questions on his newfound project:

Reporter: What is the overall condition of the 130-year-old building?

Alan: “We have recently had an expert that looked into our building, and they told us it was in good condition. Today, the structure still supports 10,000 square feet of indoor space.”

Reporter: What thoughts do you have for what this building could possibly be used for?

Alan: “We have received a lot of good suggestions from local people online, which are very welcome. Right now we are just in the early stages of this project, so we do not have any certain ideas for what would be most feasible.”

Reporter: What action have you taken to further this project thus far?

Alan: “We have conducted extensive research, consulted the City of Hope about our project, and we have hired a restoration architectural firm out of North Little Rock named Clements & Associates. Gary Clements, the architect, along with the City of Hope Code Officer Dorsey Askew, recently inspected the building to get a possible forecast on the project. We are expecting to hear back from the architect with a report on what the building could possibly be used for by Thanksgiving. We are hoping to get a consultant on board for the project in the future as well.”

Reporter: What could this project mean for downtown Hope?

Alan: “I see this as a catalyst for future restoration on Second Street in downtown. In the early stages of this project, we are in consideration as to whether we should divide the ground floor into smaller retail spaces, or to leave the floor open as one large area. We believe the upstairs space could be used for loft apartments, as it would be good to have more people living in downtown Hope.”

The town anticipates further information about The Brundidge Project, and we wish Alan and Jennifer Martin the best of luck with this endeavor.

Pictured: Mr. Alan Martin