The Ammen building, which houses several tenants, to include The Gift Box, is for sale.
The 4,640 square foot building at 104 S. Main St. in Boulder is listed at $199,900 with Re/Max of Helena.
In addition to The Gift Box, the building is also home to the Boulder Fitness Center, the Video Cafe and the Boulder Area Chamber of Commerce. The 21st Century Program, Community Shared Agriculture and food coop use the space free of charge because they are community programs and use the building mostly for drop offs or exchanges, according to Connie Grenz, who is on the Board of the Chamber, as well as the Fitness Center.
The potential sale led to some discussion at the November Boulder Area Chamber of Commerce meeting.
Grenz suggested that the tenants get together and purchase the building as a cooperative.
If 100 people pitched in $2,000, that would cover the purchase price, said Grenz.
Bettie Schlueter pointed out that after the purchase there is the reality of maintenance and taxes.
Would that also be split? she asked.
Taxes are estimated at $3,175.25 for the property, which is zoned commercial, according to the real estate listing.
Regardless, all the tenants in the building need to have a backup plan, said Schlueter.
The Chamber agreed to put it on its December agenda for further discussion.
Grenz said the Ammen building is the third location for the Fitness Center, which formed as a membership-only organization about 15 years ago.
The other locations were the south side of QRS Signs building across from Veterans Park and the the current Giulio Disposal Service office, said Grenz.
Grenz said the cooperative buying idea at least gets people thinking about options.
“The primary renters have few other affordable options to consider on Main Street should the new owner not want us or raise the rent too high,” said Grenz in an email to the Monitor.
The building is owned by Lynn Bryant, who along with her siblings, took over ownership when their father died, said Real Estate Agent Bo Bolstad.
The family is ready to sell and have someone else take over the investment, he said, adding that it would be nice to have a buyer willing to retain the current tenants, or conversely, bring something new to Boulder.
Bryant said she and her siblings are getting up in age and it’s time to move on and see what sort of interest there is in the building.
Bryant said her father died in 2012 and the family hasn’t raised the rent and has kept it “status quo.”
The tenants have been stable and good to work with, said Bryant.
The Gift Box co-owner Sally Buckles said the building went up for sale a few years ago, but nothing came of it.
Buckles figured it would go up for sale again, and naturally, is interested in The Gift Box remaining where it is.
When the building went up for sales a few years ago, The Gift Box looked at the small building across the street, 109 Main St., but it was not available, said Buckles.
And while the residential real estate market is booming — driven recently by remote workers from the West Coast looking to escape the pandemic and civil unrest, Bolstad said the commercial market isn’t quite so hot. But, there are buyers, he said.
“I think there are people out there looking for an investment,” said Bolstad.
The Ammen building was built in 1980 and prior to its current tenants, also housed the Ammen Drug Store, an office supply store, the Ranch House Bakery and a coffee shop once owned by Karmen Craft, said Gary Craft, who is also on the Boulder Fitness Center board.
There was a dance studio where the fitness center is now, and that is why it has wood floors, he said.
Prior to the Ammen building, the property was once the location of a blacksmith shop and then an automotive garage, he said, adding that after the garage was torn down, the lot was vacant for many years.
