The site of the former Buehler's Market, which operated for 105 years in Chattanooga before shutting down in 2017, is for sale after a plan for a sports-themed eatery in the downtown building never came about.
The 7,000-square-foot structure at 429 Market St., which also has 12 to 14 parking spaces, has a list price of $2.1 million, said Chattanooga real estate broker Lisa Brown.
"The building needs energy," Brown said in a phone interview about the empty one-story building that sits next to the Jack's Alley complex.
Bob Martino, who owns the Chattanooga Red Wolves professional soccer team, said in 2021 that he had purchased the longtime former market, according to news archives.
(READ MORE: Red Wolves owner has plans for former market)
At the time, Martino said the structure would undergo remodeling to offer a rooftop bar, outdoor seating and a stage for live entertainment.
But the building has remained empty since 2017 when Buehler's shut down and the property was sold by store owner Charles Morton for $1.6 million to a buyer identified as 429 Market Gp.
Morton said then he started at Buehler's as "a sack boy" and had owned the business since 1988.
"It has been my life for 52 years," he said.
The store had operated continuously at the Market Street location since 1965, though it dated back over a century in the city.
There has been interest from potential buyers since the site was listed, Brown said.
"There have been lots of conversations," she said.
The broker said a restaurant or another use that plays to tourism are possible.
"There's a lot of room to work with. It's walking distance to the Tennessee Aquarium," Brown said, adding a restaurant is probably "the highest and best use."
She cited efforts by the city and nonprofit redevelopment group River City Co. to inject new energy into the waterfront area as well as an initiative to re-imagine Broad Street.
In 2021, planners unveiled an array of proposals aimed at drawing more locals and daily use to the riverfront area. Attracting more affordable housing and businesses, reworking Broad Street into a better pedestrian corridor, enhancing public space and refreshing the Tennessee Riverwalk were among the ideas revealed in a new master plan that was nearly 18 months in the making.
(READ MORE: New downtown riverfront plan revealed)
Earlier this year, three visions of Broad Street emerged from months of study and public feedback centering around making it safer, greener and livelier.
Each version saw the road narrowed from four to two lanes of traffic. Wider sidewalks and more outdoor dining along with better bike lanes were common threads through the three draft versions.
Martino, along with already building CHI Memorial soccer stadium at Interstates 75 and 24 in East Ridge, has plans for the 110 acres around it, including townhouses, hotels, a convention center, apartment buildings, retail space, a parking garage and office complex.
The proposed $140 million in new facilities and amenities is believed to be the largest single investment ever in East Ridge.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.