Local Red Cross to Purchase Historic Cotton Brothers Building

The Central Louisiana Red Cross is planning to purchase and renovate the historic Cotton Brothers Bakery building as a new location for their regional headquarters and offices. The brick Art Deco structure, built in 1932 at the corner of Elliott Street and Bolton Avenue, was recently named to be among the year’s top ten most endangered state historic properties by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation.

Renovation of the structure is expected to begin around February and be finished by the end of 2008. Altogether, the property could see upwards of a million dollars of direct investment. As a crucial piece of the Bolton Avenue corridor, our hope is that it can help spur a renewed interest in Alexandria’s historic commercial districts.

We want to wish an early Happy Thanksgiving to our regional chapter of the American Red Cross and to the Executive Director of the Alexandria Historic Preservation Commission, Melinda Anderson, who has worked for many months to protect the legacy of this unique local landmark.

The announcement of this purchase agreement was (apparently) made yesterday night at a Red Cross charity drive held at the new Weiss and Goldring.