THE DaMARTI BUILDING

The DaMarti Building is a classic example of creative commercial real​ estate.​ The​ dynamic team of Mary Helen​ and Dave​ Anich​ looked for an opportunity​ for investment​ in​ Chattanooga​ to​ be​ near​ their daughter,​ Southerly​ Abode​ ​ design​ owner,​ Tiffany​ Anich.

Tiffany​ ​ had​ ​ spent​ ​ time​ ​ in​ ​ Chattanooga​ ​ while​ ​ she​ ​ attended​ ​ Appalachian​ ​ State​ ​ University​ ​ and​ ​ after​ ​ doing her​ ​ research​ ​ on​ ​ the​ ​ economics​ ​ of​ ​ several​ ​ cities​ ​ in​ ​ the​ ​ south,​ ​ found​ ​ that​ ​ Chattanooga​ ​ offered​ ​ the​ ​ best opportunity​ ​ for​ ​ her​ ​ to​ ​ move​ ​ her​ ​ design​ ​ firm,​ ​ Southerly​ ​ Abode.

​​After​ ​ meeting​ ​ with​ ​ Lisa​ ​ Brown,​ ​ who​ ​ was​ ​ referred​ ​ to​ ​ them​ ​ by​ ​ her​ ​ Chattanooga​ ​ Property​ ​ Shop​ ​ partner, Diane​ ​ Patty,​ ​ they​ ​ decided​ ​ to​ ​ move​ ​ forward.​ ​ “Lisa​ ​ knows​ ​ commercial​ ​ property​ ​ like​ ​ the​ ​ back​ ​ of​ ​ her​ ​ hand,” said​ ​ Mary​ ​ Helen,​ ​ who​ ​ moved​ ​ to​ ​ Chattanooga​ ​ while​ ​ Dave​ ​ finished​ ​ up​ ​ the​ ​ sale​ ​ of​ ​ their​ ​ business​ ​ in​ ​ Florida, where​ ​ the​ ​ couple​ ​ is​ ​ from.​ “There​ ​ was​ ​ not​ ​ a​ ​ single​ ​ question​ ​ Lisa​ ​ could​ ​ not​ ​ answer,​ ​ and​ ​ if​ ​ she​ ​ did​ ​ not know​ ​ the​ ​ answer,​ ​ she​ ​ got​ ​ back​ ​ with​ ​ me​ ​ as​ ​ soon​ ​ as​ ​ possible.”​ ​ This​ ​ confidence​ ​ in​ ​ Lisa​ ​ Brown​ ​ was transferred​ ​ to​ ​ Mary​ ​ Helen,​ ​ as​ ​ Dave​ ​ never​ ​ saw​ ​ the​ ​ property​ ​ before​ ​ they​ ​ had​ ​ bought​ ​ it.​ 744​ Overbridge Lane​ ​ seemed​ ​ to​ ​ be​ ​ the​ ​ perfect​ ​ property​ ​ for​ ​ their​ ​ plan​ ​ of​ ​ a​ ​ collaborative​ workspace,​ ​ something​ ​ that Tiffany​ ​ had​ ​ seen​ ​ in​ ​ both​ ​ Atlanta​ ​ and​ ​ Miami,​ ​ where​ ​ she​ ​ had​ ​ worked​ ​ before​ ​ going​ ​ out​ ​ on​ ​ her​ ​ own. Designers​ ​ share​ ​ a​ ​ space​ ​ and​ ​ design​ ​ lines,​ ​ borrowing​ ​ from​ ​ each​ ​ other​ ​ to​ ​ keep​ ​ costs​ ​ low.

With​ ​ no​ ​ collaborative​ ​ space​ ​ of​ ​ that​ ​ sort​ ​ existing​ ​ in​ ​ Chattanooga,​ ​ Tiffany’s​ ​ diligence​ ​ in​ ​ research​ ​ and​ ​ Mary Helen’s​ ​ savvy​ ​ and​ ​ trust​ ​ in​ ​ Lisa​ ​ Brown,​ ​ led​ ​ them​ ​ to​ ​ North​ ​ Chattanooga.​ “We​ ​ were​ ​ a​ ​ little​ ​ under​ ​ the​ ​ gun with​ ​ our​ ​ 1031​ ​ exchange,​ ​ but​ ​ Lisa​ ​ is​ ​ so​ ​ knowledgeable​ ​ about​ ​ how​ ​ they​ ​ work,​ ​ we​ ​ had​ ​ nothing​ ​ to​ ​ worry about.​ ​ “The​ ​ building​ ​ at​ ​ 744​ Overbridge​ ​ Lane​ ​​ ​ seemed​ ​ perfect,​ ​ but​ ​ unfortunately​ ​ had​ ​ an​ ​ accepted​ ​ offer already​ ​ in​ ​ place.​ ​ Lisa​ ​ maintained​ ​ contact​ ​ with​ ​ the​ ​ listing​ ​ agent​ ​ and​ ​ when​ ​ the​ ​ contract​ ​ fell​ ​ through,​ ​ Lisa immediately​ ​ called​ ​ Mary​ ​ Helen​ ​ and​ ​ Dave​ ​ with​ ​ the​ ​ news.​ ​ “Lisa​ ​ called​ ​ us​ ​ and​ ​ by​ ​ 11​ ​ am,​ ​ we​ ​ were​ ​ under contract,” recalls​ ​ Mary​ ​ Helen.

With​ ​ great​ ​ bones​ ​ and​ ​ a​ ​ few​ ​ minor​ ​ renovations,​ ​ the​ ​ couple​ ​ opened​ ​ their​ ​ collaborative​ ​ space​ ​ The DaMarti​ building​ ​ with​ ​ Southerly​ ​ Abode​ as​ ​ the​ ​ anchor​ ​ tenant​ ​ in​ ​ the​ ​ fall​ ​ of​ ​ 2016.​ ​ Featuring​ ​ community spaces​ ​ such​ ​ as​ ​ welcoming​ ​ lobby,​ conference​ ​ room,​ ​ kitchen,​ ​ restrooms​ ​ and​ ​ an​ ​ outdoor​ ​ conference space,​ ​ the​ ​ building​ ​ went​ ​ on​ ​ the​ ​ market​ ​ for​ ​ lease​ ​ hoping​ ​ to​ ​ attract​ ​ creative​ ​ businesses​ ​ to​ ​ the​ ​ additional​ ​ 9 available​ ​ spaces​ ​ including​ ​ a​ ​ warehouse​ ​ space​ ​ with​ ​ photography​ ​ infinity​ ​ wall,​ ​ as​ ​ well​ ​ as​ ​ a​ ​ efficiency​ ​ suite, with​ ​ kitchenette​ ​ and​ ​ full​ ​ bath.

Now,​ ​ fully​ ​ leased​ ​ the​ ​ space​ ​ features​ ​ 3​ ​ therapists,​ ​ an​ ​ acupuncturist,​ ​ and​ ​ insurance​ ​ firm​ ​ plus​ ​ the​ ​ creative DIY​ ​ craft​ ​ company,​ ​ Craftlove.​ ​ The​ ​ DaMarti​ ​ has​ ​ had​ ​ several​ ​ well​ ​ attended​ ​ collaborative​ ​​ ​ open​ ​ houses, hosted​ ​ the​ ​ Chattanooga​ ​ Chamber​ ​ of​ ​ Commerce​ ​ events​ ​ and​ ​ is​ ​ looking​ ​ forward​ ​ to​ ​ continuing​ ​ more​ ​ in 2018.