Downtown loft apartments drew citizens to the heart of Russellville Sunday, as developers David Grissom and Chris Wallace threw open the doors of the two one-bedroom residences in the Reed Building on Jackson.

Grissom said when he first began contemplating the revitalization of downtown Russellville, he envisioned loft apartments in the second story of downtown businesses. Once the new zoning guidelines were established downtown to permit loft apartments, Grissom teamed up with Wallace and, together as Made in USA Properties, they purchased what once-upon-a-time was Reed’s General Store – Grissom’s great-uncle’s store – and began to renovate, with an eye toward developing two apartments on the second floor.

The one bedroom, one bathroom apartments each have balconies and feature all new appliances. Both apartments have already been leased to tenants – the front one to a mechanical engineer with IHP and the back one to a nurse.

Numerous people traipsed up and down the staircases to check out the newly-renovated apartments – among them, Alabama governor-candidate Tommy Battle, who is mayor of Huntsville. Battle and Grissom had previously connected at Alabama League of Municipalities meetings, and Grissom invited Battle to come speak and see the changes taking place in Russellville.

“You ought to be very proud of what you have here because this is a great thing to be starting in your community,” Battle said. “It has a multiplier effect. It provides jobs, it provides economy – it provides for your area to be able to grow.” Battle said growth is the one reason he got in the governor’s race – particularly job growth.

Another guest Sunday was Trisha Black of Main Street Alabama. The city council and revitalization committee have coordinated heavily with Main Street Alabama to envision possibilities for revitalizing the downtown area. She said loft apartments are a great catalyst for downtown growth.

“I’m so thrilled to see they have moved forward in building the loft apartments,” Black said. “You have people in your downtown 24 hours a day. They typically are going to shop and eat downtown, so you start seeing more retail open up and more restaurants.”

Jamie Harris, a city councilman and member of the revitalization committee, said the loft apartments, and the obvious interest in them, represent a positive step forward for Russellville. “I think it’s a great thing,” he said. “I think this is going to be a big start for a great future here … We’re getting headed in the right direction.”

Chase Sparks, who is also a member of the revitalization committee, agreed. “This is really exciting. Apartments just bring a beautifying effect to downtown – the balconies look really nice.”

“I think it’s good for Russellville,” Wallace said. “Everything has been positive.”

Grissom also expressed his excitement. “It’s a dream and goal we had several years ago, and it’s just neat to see the dream come true, to get the first downtown loft apartments completed here in Russellville.”

With the interest in loft living on the rise, Wallace and Grissom said they hope to take on another remodel – and they hope other developers will follow suit. Grissom said he thinks the potential for loft apartments is going to be a key attractor for potential investors and developers. The capability means property owners can utilize and optimize the entirety of a building’s square footage, pulling in funding from multiple rental units in one building.