Once a hardware store, a 100-year-old Bay St. Louis building will transform into luxury lofts
The century-old building, a block from the beach and one street west of Main, could have been torn down and replaced with something shiny new.
Instead the beams and timbers, the original wooden floors and the memories from the old hardware and lumber store are being incorporated into Farragut Lofts, 15 units of downtown living under construction on Toulme Street in Bay St. Louis.
Christian Galvin describes it as a luxury restoration, with public and private spaces, its own library, a resort swimming pool, art gallery and a museum to the building and its namesake Admiral David Farragut.
His company, Christian Shane International, is developing the property and he says, “We are anticipating a sellout of the building.”
The location is prime — a five-minute walk to the beach and the shops and restaurants downtown. The Amtrak shuttle to New Orleans will be two blocks away. City Park is adjacent to the lofts, with its tennis courts, playground and famed shoo-fly tree.
With that location typically comes a challenge to find parking places in the downtown.
“Our residents and guests are not going to have that issue,” he said. Rather than expanding the building, he chose to provide two parking spaces per unit — more than the city requires — and install charging stations for golf carts and electric vehicles.
Clients who will stay in these lavish lofts are looking for exceptional amenities and an authentic restoration with high-end finishes, he said.
“They want the history with modern convenience and that is our building,” Galvin said.
Public and private
The public spaces at Farragut Lofts are on the north side, off Toulme Street.
“Everyone can come in and enjoy the building,” Galvin said, and when they do, “Everyone has a memory.”
Where people once bought lumber and hardware, they will find Full Speed Cafe, the name a nod to Admiral Farragut and the famous quote attributed to him: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.”
It will be a place dedicated to relaxing in luxury, where guests will sip a fine wine or craft cocktail, snack on charcuterie, indulge in a decadent dessert or enjoy a curated cigar selection.
The desire is to “Level up the expectations,” Galvin said. The bar is Brazilian quartzite crystallo and is lit from underneath. The wallpaper is from Italy. The wine, beer and liquors are premium.
A Christian Shane Gallery will feature local and regional artists and lifestyle design along with many of the historical windows and architecture.
A museum will pay homage to the building and the hardware store that operated there. It also will salute Farragut, the Navy’s first admiral who fought in the Battle of Mobile Bay. Galvin purchased an original letter written by the admiral’s first mate to display at the property. The 27-page letter to his wife describes what happened during the battle.
Living large
People can both buy the lofts and then rent them long-term or for a vacation through the on-site real estate office of Christian Shane Properties. An on-site property management office is planned on the first floor.
The Full Speed Fitness will have Peloton included in the membership, Precore treadmill plus WiFi TV and views overlooking the park.
The saltwater swimming pool includes fiber optic lighting, tanning shelf, lap lane, a covered veranda and a Big Green Egg grill.
The original wide steps will become a more grand stairway to the second floor, where the shelves in the private library will be fashioned from the old hardware store bolt boxes combined with designer furnishings, art and an extensive book collection. Gucci wallpaper is also planned.
Spread through the building is a mix of one, two and three bedroom lofts — “each one different,” Galvin said.
Construction of Farragut Lofts takes best advantage of the 1905 timber frame construction and the addition built five years later.
“We let the building tell us what it wanted to be,” he said.
The original wide plank heart pine floors are being restored and where necessary after more than 100 years, reclaimed wood of the same era was spliced in for a cohesive look and feel.
The wood timbers and some of the pipes are exposed.
“In lofts you expect that,” he said.
On a tour of the restoration project, Galvin arrives at the Admiral loft and says, “Now you’re in the penthouses. These are special.”
The three bedroom unit will have an oversize spiral staircase to the loft, positioned in front of a wall of windows that looks out to a wide deck with a view of the pool.
An extra perk is views out to the water from the third floor. Three of the two-bedroom units have large, uncovered verandas and several of the units have private master suite lofts.
All of the lofts will be light and bright, he said, with designer acrylic cabinets, high-end appliances, luxury lighting, cast iron sinks and tubs, walk in closets, washer and dryer and separate individual storage units.
“Again, it’s luxury,” he said, and nothing like Bay St. Louis has seen.
Farragut Lofts is the largest project of Christian Shane Development to date, although he has larger in progress and two more projects in the planning stages in Mississippi, he said.
Besides his real estate and development companies, he has separate companies for lifestyle, design and hospitality.
If the owner chooses, Farragut Lofts can come fully designed and furnished, and Glavin said the goal is to provide clients with what they need whether building or buying a new home or hosting a wedding.
This story was originally published July 13, 2022 at 7:45 AM.
