Twelve Hundred Marshall Street welcomes entrepreneurs

Historic character and entrepreneurial spirit converge at Twelve Hundred Marshall Street, and there is space for new businesses to come on board.

The building already is home to Red River Brewing, Fat Calf Boucherie, Smith Family Farms, Colonial Life Insurance and the Communications Workers of America. Owner Ronnie Remedies said more space is available for rent in the 50,000-squarefoot building.

“We have about 10,000 square feet of warehouse space that is available,” he said. “Then we have approximately 7,000 square feet of office space.”

The space on the ground floor features an open floor plan with exposed brick walls and stained concrete floors. It also includes new electrical wiring and high-speed Internet service.

The space is well-suited to cater to a startup business of young professionals, Remedies said.

“There is a great amount of synergy with a young, entrepreneurial atmosphere,” he said. “All of the business owners here are 40 years old and under. I have been in business for 17 years. The others, all less than five years. They are really good, smart business men and women.”

Remedies currently operates Shreveport Limousine out of office space on the second floor of the building. Shreveport Limousine’s fleet of vehicles is stored in the warehouse. Both of those spaces are for lease, as well. Remedies bought another historic building – the old Gerlach Meat Packing plant – that he is remodeling and will move his business into it when it’s complete.

Smith Family Farms processes, stores, packages and sells meat harvested on its farm in Sibley at Twelve Hundred Market Street. Remedies noted the irony involved.

“We purchased a meat processing plant to move our limousine company into so we could lease our limousine building to a meat processing plant,” he said.

Liz Swaine, executive director of Shreveport’s Downtown Development Authority, said the lively mix of tenants makes the building an appealing option for any business looking for space to lease.

Remedies said parking and safety also are attractive benefits to the building.

“Parking is one of the most attractive things to our current tenants,” he said. “You can park at your front door for free. It is fenced with one access point for exit and entry. It is well-lit at night. If you are working late and it’s dark, there is so much activity that people normally feel safe coming in and out.”

Remedies bought the building in 2012. Originally built in 1908, the building has a rich history. It was home to Shreve Audio and Shreve Music. It was home to one of the first Apple repair call centers in the country. And it was the home of Castle Printing from the 1960s to the 1980s. But there is one story in the building’s history that Remedies particularly enjoys.

“Legend has it, during the ’40s and Prohibition, the gentleman who owned it cooked moonshine,” Remedies said. “When he’d get raided by law enforcement, the ladies downstairs would push a buzzer. He knew he was being raided. In the back of his coat closet is a secret door. You can go out the door, and there is a ladder that goes up to the roof. He could climb up to the roof and look over the edge and see when the feds would drive away.”

For details about leasing space or buying the building, contact Remedies at (318) 603-5315 or call UL Coleman Company at (318) 221-0541.