Former furniture maker HQ sold in Bloomington
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One of the last vestiges of the long-gone Showers Brothers Furniture Co. in Bloomington has been sold, the second such building sold in the historic Trades District in as many months. The city’s redevelopment commission has completed the sale of the Showers Administration building to Eurton Qualified Opportunity Fund LLC for $400,000.
The redevelopment commission says it was looking for a buyer who would be willing to invest in the historic renovation of the building and provide a leasable office space for technology and innovation tenants.
The city says Eurton intends to restore the building to its original condition and will seek tenants later this year.
“We were lucky enough to make an offer and have it accepted,” said Eurton president Shawn Eurton. “Now we get to bring the building to its former glory and find a tenant that is the right fit for the space.”
Showers Brothers was one of the biggest employers in the early part of the 20th century, employing 1,200 workers. According to city records, Showers was one of the largest manufacturers of home furnishings in the U.S, producing 700,000 pieces annually. The company shutdown in 1955.
In the decades to follow, Indiana University used the property.
In 2011, the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission assumed ownership of several buildings of the former Showers Brothers complex, including the administration building, the adjacent kiln building, and a building that was redeveloped into The Mill, the Bloomington-based business incubator.
Collectively, that part of the city is being marketed as the historic Trades District. In November, a group of local investors and businesses acquired the former Showers Brothers Furniture Factory Kiln Building. The consortium plans to invest $2 million to renovate the kiln building and renovate the property.
“Restoring and maintaining the former Showers complex into an area for city government, innovation, and trades requires both conservation and collaboration,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “Selling the Showers Administration building to someone committed to the Trades District as well as Bloomington’s past, present, and future satisfies both of those requirements.”
Read more about the history of the Showers complex by clicking here.