One of the most desirable addresses downtown is the Lofts at 624 at the corner of Louisiana Ave. and Texas Street. The manager called this week to let us know about two rare availabilities that have come open there; a 2 bedroom 1.5 bath, & a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath. For the rest of the month, the Lofts will be waiving part of their application fee and taking 50% off April move in.
The views from the 3-BR units are fabulous!
Rent on the 2 bed 1.5 bath is $2,115, on the 3 bed 2.5 bath it is $2,190. Grab one while you can!
One of the grand things about historic buildings like the old Sears Department Store at 624 Texas Street is that the fabulous architectural detail- tall ceilings, beautiful windows, & abundant natural light- make everything look good. Wondering how you could live at the Lofts? Here are a few ideas from the Lofts’ model unit.
High ceilings, natural light, a touch o’ glam.
The flow leads you past the kitchen/eating area, past the office space, the well-appointed bathroom and into the living/sleeping space.
The layout maximizes every inch of the studio unit, creating separate sleeping, living, working and eating areas.
The fun decor doesn’t hurt at all. Can’t you envision yourself living here…and loving it?
Though the kitchen is compact, there is a lot of granite counter space and full size appliances. A washer/dryer is in the unit, too.
Just outside the door is a living/lounging space that maximizes your living space even more. Want to have friends over for a drink and a chat? Of course!
One floor away is the tenants’ fitness studio. (And don’t forget that Humm Yoga is located on the mezzanine). There are a variety of creative floorplans at The Lofts that range in size from studio to a 2-bedroom with private deck space. At present, the Lofts is 100% occupied, but get your name on the waiting list and Brandy will call you when a space comes available.
One of the big reasons that the Lofts is so cool is its history, of course. You will be living in a space that was built nearly 100 years ago, and served the needs of shoppers for most of that time.
“The Lofts” when it was new!
When the Feibleman’s Department Store opened on Texas Street in 1925, the streets of downtown Shreveport were the center of life, the go-to place, the future. Feibleman’s was indeed grand, but it was one of many. Downtown department stores ran the gamut from large to small, ornate to plain, and included M. Levy’s, Rubenstein’s, Montgomery Ward, Palais Royal, Winter’s, and later, JC Penney and Selber Bros. If you needed to shop, downtown was the place to do it.
Downtown’s ‘Temple of Commerce.’
When Feibleman’s opened, it was the first store in Shreveport to offer its own credit card, and later, was the first to have an escalator that went above the second floor. The building’s towering presence and ornate design was conceived by Samuel G. Wiener, a Shreveport architect known worldwide for his International-styled works. Within just a couple of years, Feibleman’s became known as Feibleman’s/Sears and later, just Sears.
Escalators were a very big thing!
The area was a bustling, vibrant city center filled with jobs and opportunity. By the 1980s, though, the building once considered a ‘Temple of Commerce’ was vacant, its’ giant windows, bricked in. It looked more penal than palatial.
Shreveport Sears employees sewing drapes in 1958.
Today, the 600 block of Texas Street includes apartments, a coffee and home decor/embroidery shop, financial services and a variety of small health and beauty-related businesses. The two other buildings that make up a part of The Lofts- 616 and 620 Texas Street, have professional offices, a retail shop and soon, an urban market.
During the interior cleanout prior to construction.
The old Feibleman’s/Sears building marked a new beginning on its opening day in 1925. Now the building stands as a reminder that instead of looking outward, renewal can come from inside.
