A downtown Wetumpka building that sat vacant for years open for business.
The Fain Theater, the town movie theater that had been operating on East Bridge Street since 1937, has been repurposed.
Currently, the Fain offers two apartments that have the charm of the old building with modern amenities.
Tucker Robinson, owner of Riverview Real Estate and property manager of the Fain, said one better hurry as one of the apartments is already leased.
“The property currently has two multi-level apartments,” Robinson said. “One is three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. One is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. The two-bed is rented already.
He said each apartment offers riverfront views and both are 1,650 square feet.
“All of this was remodeled under historical standards,” Robinson said. “A lot of the original features are still there like exposed brick and rafters. It has a really clean feel about it.”
Access to the apartments are in the back of the building.
Robinson said the front of the building is at a point in the construction process where it can be finished out to suit a specific business.
“We do not nave one specific tenant specified at all right now,” he said. “The space could be suitable for a restaurant or entertainment venue. Right now, it is a large blank canvas.”
Robinson said there are numerous ideas being considered for future development on the building that has hosted entertainers such as The Three Stooges, Hank Williams, Roy Rogers and many more.
“There are plans for a possible rooftop or to have the basement to be developed,” Robinson said.
He said other ideas discussed have included the installation of a balcony around the main floor and building a landing on the Coosa River for kayakers to park and visit the facility.
“The potential is unlimited,” Robinson said. “Right now we have reached that point in the project where we started opening it up to ideas.”
Tim Coker, president of the Birmingham-based Capital Program Management, has owned the building since 2014.
He said he invested in the property due to the ease of working with leaders in the city and the building’s location downtown next to the Bibb Graves Bridge overlooking the Coosa River.
“We became aware of Wetumpka through engagements with the city,” Coker said. “With confidence in (Mayor) Jerry Willis, city leaders and the unspoiled historical setting of the Fain are what led us to invest in the building’s future.”
Currently, the city is in the middle of a multimillion dollar revitalization project which will improve streets, sidewalks and buildings in the downtown area.
Robinson said the building’s location downtown next to the Bibb Graves Bridge over the Coosa River makes it a very viable area for business.
“Uniqueness, beauty and it is very cozy is why I like it, too,” Robinson said. “We’re probably not the only ones with that view on the Fain.”
Robinson said anyone interested in finding out more about the apartment or retail space may give him a call at 334-462-5263.
