Published: July 11, 2009 01:50 am      

Newly-renovated White House Centre nearly at capacity

It’s about the feeling.

A newly renovated, historic building that whispers New Albany’s past while the smell of fresh paint assures there will be a future. French doors, archways and spacious common areas feed into the atmosphere.

In business, it’s about perception and feeling, John Waggoner says. That’s why he held nothing back when refurbishing The White House Centre — which was built in 1866 and is located at 222 Pearl St.

Waggoner endured his share of doubt from people questioning how the Centre could be a viable office and retail site when his company, New Albany White House LLC, purchased the building from Develop New Albany last year.

That came during a recession, after all.

Almost a year after the buy, the Centre’s second and third floors are full and only a few suites on the bottom remain unclaimed. And the work isn’t even complete, as renovations are ongoing in parts of the building, with Waggoner hoping for final completion in August.

Did Waggoner believe the success would come so soon?

“Yes and no,” he said. “We thought the first floor would fill up with retail pretty quickly because there’s a lot of interest, and we thought the second floor being office space would fill up slower.”

But the opposite has been true, as the slow economy has sapped some of the retail momentum the group was hoping to capitalize on. That said, the recession has in some ways benefited the Centre, with companies looking to downsize.

Gary McCartin, owner of The McCartin Co. Inc., moved to the second floor of the Centre from Charlestown Road.

“With the economy the way it is, we had to lay off people and we had too much space where I was at,” he said. “With the common areas, I can conduct my business the same as with a space 10 times the size.”

The Centre has shared conference rooms with leather seats and long wooden tables to present a touch of class. Waggoner wants his tenants to be able to host guests in a stylish setting, though their actual suite might not be big enough to hold multiple clients.

Aubrey Carman serves as law clerk for D.A. Andrews, an attorney with an office in Louisville that recently opened a satellite location at the Centre. Though she lives in Louisville, Carman said she doesn’t mind the drive because of the setting.

Carman likes being able to find a place to park and walk to lunch without much difficulty. She added Waggoner is an ideal landlord, constantly checking on the tenants and responding to their concerns.

“I love what they did with the building,” Carman said.

Waggoner said downtown conveniences are a big selling point, with restaurants and the Floyd County branch of the YMCA of Southern Indiana nearby.

Courtney Smith, owner of Benefit Payee Services, opened her business at the Centre before the renovations took place. The upgraded safety and privacy features in the building are important to her, as is having a few neighbors.

“Now that more of the space is getting leased, there’s more interaction, instead of feeling like you’re the only person in the building,” she said.

Gallery on Pearl stayed open through the construction, and manager Cathy Dusel said customers remark on how the changes remind them of the building’s past use when it was one of the main shopping outlets in New Albany.

“There’s a night and day difference in the aesthetics of the building,” she said. “It just needed some work, some tender love and care.

“We’re glad to be here and plan to stay.”

Waggoner said tenants want quality, and that’s what his group aimed to offer when revamping the Centre.

“People are willing to pay if you fix it up nice — if you give them really nice amenities and all the conveniences,” he said.