By Malcolm Butler
Ruston residents always say our community could use another breakfast place.
Well, they could be in luck.
With the news about the historic Federal Building located on North Vienna Street in Ruston being sold to Oliver Road Investments, LLC out of Monroe and the fact its been confirmed that a restaurant is going to call it home soon, a little research and investigative work on the Louisiana Secretary of State website took me down a path that led to bacon and eggs … and biscuits.
Although no one has confirmed on or off the record about what that restaurant may be, Joe Holyfield — a builder out of Monroe — spoke at the Ruston City Council meeting on Monday, the same night that the Alderman voted unanimously to sell the building.
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State website, Holyfield is listed as a registered agent for Delta Biscuit Company. He is also listed as the agent for JGH Equity, LLC on Tower Drive in Monroe. JGH Equity, LLC is an Officer for Oliver Road Investments, LLC.
It’s simply a game of connecting the dots. Only time will tell if I connected them correctly.
Breakfast lovers hope I do.
Although an attempt to reach Holyfield for comment on Wednesday afternoon was unsuccessful, it’s a reasonable guess that the highly-popular breakfast establishment owned by Glen and Jessica Lewellyan and located on Tower Drive in Monroe could be coming to Lincoln Parish.
“I’ve been watching that building for years as I drive by it,” Holyfield said during Monday night’s city council meeting. “I think it’s the prettiest building in north Louisiana.
“We’re actually going to try and improve on it. There were some alterations done in the ’70s that took some of the height of the windows out and covered up some windows on the lower floor. We’re going to hopefully restore that, if they let us, back to the way it was when it was built.”
Oliver Road Investments, LLC purchased the approximately 38,000-square foot building for $210,000. The Federal Building was appraised at $230,000, but the city offered the special rate in light of the 40-plus jobs the new restaurant plans to create.
“The company plans to repair, renovate and restore and then thereafter operate a restaurant in the Building,” City Attorney Bill Carter. “As an incentive for the company to undertake the cost of restoration, the city has reduced the purchase price to $210,000 from the appraised price of $230,000.
Carter said the property around the building will become an economic development district with a tax being levied to the benefit of the company.
Ruston’s City Council unanimously approved the ordinance authorizing the building’s sale.
Mayor Ronny Walker — who would not comment on the hypothesis of Delta Biscuit Company coming to Ruston — said he felt the decision to sell the building was the best option for all.
“It’s a beautiful building — an iconic building — and we look forward to bringing it back to its old glory days,” Walker said.
The city purchased the Historic Federal Building from the U.S. government in 2016 in hopes of creating a state-of-the art facility to house the North Central Louisiana Arts Council (NCLAC), but renovation costs, including a new roof and removal/cleanup of mold and asbestos caused a change in those plans.
