Greg Rapp Sells c.1882 Bernhardt Hardware Building in Downtown Salisbury ~ Residential & Commercial Space Coming Soon!

The former Bernhardt Hardware property has been sold!!!

Greg Rapp, of Wallace Realty, sold the expansive hardware building at 111-115 N Main Street in Downtown Salisbury NC for $200,000 to Calm Holdings, a new partnership formed by Chad Vriesema and Bryan Wymbs.

Vriesema is owner of Central Piedmont Builders Inc., the contractor for several other restoration projects in the downtown including Pottery 101, Critters, and Go Burrito. Vriesema said he and Wymbs expect to invest $400,000 to $600,000 in the Bernhardt building and make it a mix of apartments or condominiums on the second story and retail on the bottom floors. The hardware property, which over the years combined three separate buildings into one, will be returned to three distinct buildings, Vriesema said, and he and Wymbs hope to incorporate the Bernhardt name in the redevelopment because of its important historic connection to the property.

There are no prospective tenants yet, however, Vriesema will be meeting with an architect in coming months, expecting renovations to begin this fall or winter. The buildings cover 16,000 square feet, and Vriesema envisions six units of roughly 2,500 square feet covering both floors. Greg Rapp, the Realtor who worked on the sale, said the end result “will be awesome for Salisbury”. Rapp sees the downtown as having a strong potential for scores of more residents in its older storefront buildings, and he and Vriesema predicted good things to come for the downtown.

The City of Salisbury has been recognized through the N.C. Main Street Program, where  award winners are recognized for excellence in downtown revitalization efforts in categories such as promotion, organization, design and economic restructuring. The successful Main Street Programs have proven that revitalizing downtown areas can help grow local small businesses, attract new investments and create jobs. The North Carolina Main Street Program helps small towns preserve their historic fabric and, using local resources, build on their unique characteristics to create vibrant central business districts. Award winners are chosen by a panel of independent judges from dozens of applications submitted by Main Street participants throughout the state.

Click "HERE" for a view of Downtown Salisbury, NC.

Artist Robert Toth's Rendition of Bernhardt Hardware

Bernhardt Hardware was associated with the late Paul Bernhardt, known as a good-hearted retailer, promoter, artist and craftsman. He built delightful Christmas decorations for his store and loved history, conversation and politics. He was mayor of Salisbury from 1967-71 and a City Council member for 12 years overall. He served on many merchant and community boards, including a chairmanship with the Rowan Vocational Workshop. Greer Hardware started in this location in 1928. (The building dates back to 1882.) Leake Bernhardt, Paul’s father, served as store manager. Paul joined the store as assistant manager in 1946 after his service with the Army Air Corps in World War II. When Greer Hardware liquidated the store in 1961, Bernhardt Hardware took its place. Eva Bingham, Paul’s daughter, put the property up for sale after her father’s death in April 2012. The store had a going-out-of-business sale and closed that summer. (Adapted from the Salisbury Post article, 8/19/2013, by Mark Wineka ~ Read the full article in the Salisbury Post Online at http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20130819/SP01/130819701/1023/former-bernhardt-hardware-property-sold-for-200000)

Greg Rapp is the Salisbury area's premiere real estate agent for historic and vintage properties. If you'd like to see the other opportunities for both residential or commercial properties in Rowan County, give Greg a call at 704.213.6846. He has a wealth of properties and the knowledge to back them up! You'll make a smart decision!

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