“What’s Going On Across From Verve?”

I’ve been asked a more than a few times, “What’s going on down the hill from your office? ” or “What’s going in across from Verve?  Is Verve moving across the street?”  In case you missed it in The State, but drive by the former COF (Commercial Office Furniture) on 1800 block of Gervais St. every single day and wondered the same, Raleigh, NC based Alfred Williams & Company is your answer.

Here’s a quick write up I found from The Columbia Business Report.
Raleigh-based Alfred Williams & Co., an office furniture consultant, planner and dealer, has bought the former site of Commercial Office Furniture in downtown Columbia.

The buyer plans this summer to begin redevelopment of the 0.7-acre site at 1835 Gervais St., and host a grand opening Jan. 1.

Redevelopment will include a new facade of windows and a heightened roof line, a new entrance, patio and fully landscaped parking area.

“We are proud to announce the purchase of this existing building on Gervais that will be repurposed into our Columbia showroom and distribution center,” said Don Shirley, Alfred Williams’ S.C. market president. “We are excited to expand our Columbia presence and look forward to becoming a downtown central business partner and neighbor.”

More than half of the 22,579-square-foot facility, which was built in 1949, will be used by Alfred Williams. The balance of the building will be available for lease by CBRE Columbia.

“This project is a major catalyst in the continued revitalization of the Gervais street corridor,” said Mary Winter Teaster, senior managing director of CBRE’s Columbia office, who represented Alfred Williams in the acquisition. Marie Dieckmann, office team associate at CBRE Columbia, also represented the buyer.

The purchase price was not announced. Colliers International, which represented the seller, listed the property price on its website at $650,000.

Alfred Williams has 180 employees in nine showroom locations across the Carolinas and Tennessee. Its present location in Columbia is 1050 Shop Road, Suite C.

There you go!

Good friend and commercial construction professional, Brian Boyer/Boyer Construction has been retained to perform the redevelopment.

Thank you!

Franklin Jones