The Lofts of Texarkana to east side of Buhrman-Pharr

TEXARKANA – While some recent business development is going on in the 200 block of West Broad St., the east end of downtown will be getting more residential lofts constructed and completed by the end of this year.

The former Buhrman-Pharr Hardware warehouse and retail building at 620 East Third St. is presently undergoing the same type of renovation its sister wholesale warehouse building — just to the west of it — underwent in 2009.

While the west side four-story building now has what are known as the Buhrman-Pharr Lofts, the east side four-story building will soon be home to The Lofts of Texarkana.

This means 47 new lofts will be installed in the 1920s vintage building, said Kristina Knight, vice president of acquisitions for the Little Rock-based Rich Smith Development firm.

This $8 million renovation and restoration, which started in November of last year will encompass all of the 82,500 sf of the building’s interior (roughly 20,500 sf per floor). The exterior will retain its original Scottish bond pattern brickwork.

The building’s original ground floor warehouse floor plan will still consist of retail space, a work room, a freight elevator, stairs and business offices, will be redesigned into 11 apartment units, a community room, computer business lab, kitchen area, leasing office, a laundry room, fitness center and a library — complete with a new elevator to replace the existing freight elevator.

The structure’s second, third and fourth floors, which are currently open warehouse space, are being redesigned to fit 12 apartments per floor for one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.

The single-bedroom units will offer 852 sf, with the two-bedroom having 1,058 sf and the three-bedroom offering 1,392 sf.