Introduction

The Foundry Lofts & Lounge is loft apartments located inside the abandoned building that was once ‘Jackson Street Junction’ and ‘The Foundry’, both bars, in Thibodaux, Louisiana. This building is located on the edge of Thibodaux’s historical downtown and Main Street District and centrally located inside the city limits of Thibodaux. With such a convenient location to restaurants, boutiques, bars, entertainment, and grocery stores, remodeling this abandoned building into loft living spaces will help bring in the target crowd that has to travel to Thibodaux’s downtown area. The downtown area has recently gone through a huge revitalization process within the last three years. Almost monthly, there are new businesses opening up and more people are visiting the area than ever before. What was once a large span of abandoned historical buildings is now a prospering business district that encompasses big city living within this small town.


The original building, constructed in 1849, was owned by Clause Farms, Inc., and it was recently sold to Michael Schexnayder of Global Housing Solutions in 2008. There are plans to remodel this building, but the actual usage is not yet determined. This building has been a large eye-sore for the residents of Thibodaux for over ten years. This is the best time to remodel this space since downtown already has its wheels in motion with its new transformation. Lofts are the best solution because currently there is no sleek, modern living area for the people of Thibodaux to reside. Renters have a limited choice in where they live: old rent houses with very low square footage, dormitory living near Nicholls Campus, and small apartment complexes located in inconvenient areas of town that only provide 4-8 units per complex. I propose to add a third floor to this building; therefore, allowing loft living on the second and third floors. I plan on designing a cocktail lounge type bar located on the first floor and a small gym exclusively for the loft tenants.


The users of The Foundry lofts will be in their 20s, 30s, and possibly 40s. It will be a living space for college students attending the nearby Nicholls University, it will be a home for small families who are in transition from renting and owning, and it will be a residence for local business owners and the working force who want to live within walking distance to downtown.