Vacant downtown building getting new life

A very cool, very vintage and very vacant building on West Franklin Boulevard has a new owner.

Southwood Realty, under the corporate name SRC Parking Inc., paid $300,000 for its neighboring structure at 302 W. Franklin this month.

Southwood CEO Gene Ratchford tells us the company will be cleaning up the site, doing some demolition and using the space for extra parking.

He says the place should look a little more pristine in coming months but was tight lipped about future plans for the former store.

It was built in 1968 but hasn’t seen any major work since 1975.