by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
As construction at 11 E. Forsyth moves closer to its end, Vestcor developers recall that, while challenging at times, the entire renovation project has also been an invaluable learning experience.
“We originally closed on the building in October 2001 and we should be moving in tenants by February of this year,” said Tammy Dockins, a development associate at Vestcor Companies, Inc. “Throughout that entire time, one of our biggest challenges was simply coordinating everything from the actual building renovations, to building a parking garage to getting the utilities ready.”
“Everyone at the City and the mayor’s office has been very cooperative and supportive,” said John Rood, chair of Vestcor. “It’s fortunate that they recognize the value of what we’re doing. The demand for downtown housing is here and now that we’ve got some momentum built, we need to keep going.”
Approximately 60 tenants are scheduled to move into the building in February. An additional 60 will take up residence in the months to follow.
“We’ve got a pretty good blend of people coming to us,” said Dockins. “But mostly we’re seeing a lot of young executives.”
Dockins added that some retirees have expressed interest in the apartments as well.
The lofts themselves — 127 in all — are each unique in their own ways.
“Every one is different,” said Dockins. “While this is an old building, we’ve also been able to give our architect some freedom, too. Some units have partial partitioning, while others are more open in their floor plans. It was important for us to give people plenty of options.”
Other features at 11 E. Forsyth include a fitness center on the first floor, a common seating area and kitchen. A restaurant may also open
in a commercial space extending off of the main lobby.
“We’re really excited for people to see us,” said Dockins. “We should be full by the beginning of summer and hopefully stay that way.”