By Heather Lusk
It stood empty for five years after the death of Robert Carter in 2011.
Now, the Carter Building will have its first leased tenant with Genesis Engineering Group recently signing a contract to occupy the top floor of the building.
The Price family purchased the property earlier this year as an investment with plans to divide the building’s space to lease but without any specific tenants in mind.
“We want to make sure we’re getting something that’s going to contribute, be a good addition to the community,” said Ken Price, patriarch of the Price family.
Genesis Engineering Group provides mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services for new construction and renovations. Price estimated that they will occupy the building in two to three months once permits are acquired and renovations are complete to the approximately 3,800 usable square feet on the top floor.
“It’s a great location, and it was large,” said Price of the Carter Building, “And when we had the building inspected, the guy was only there a couple of hours.” The inspector said the building was in “great shape.”
“To be at the corner of Main and Oak Streets, from an old Village perspective, it’s the center,” Price said. “Several years ago in 2010 we were kind of looking at family estate planning. We’ve all worked hard, but you can’t earn any money in banks anymore.”
With many of the Price family members living and working around Zionsville, they said they concluded real estate in this area would be a good option with both residential and commercial properties, starting with a building at 58 North Main Street.
One area of the Carter Building is currently being occupied by a member of the Price family to run the family real estate and consulting businesses.
Price said that there is space for two more tenants in the building on the main floor and basement, and he said he expects to have the entire building leased by November.
The basement, which once housed working bumper cars when it was the Carter Toy Museum, “doesn’t feel like a basement,” but lacks natural light according to Price. “It’s spacious,” he said.
