News — The Dome Building

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Historic downtown Chattanooga Dome Building sold.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (January 13, 2023) – Southeast real estate investment company Fisher Bay is announcing the acquisition of the historic landmark Dome Building in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The acquisition was purchased from Urban Story Ventures on Friday of this week.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have an asset as beautiful and historic as the Dome Building. The prior owners have done a wonderful job of preserving this building as a premier icon in Chattanooga and we plan to do the same,” said Robert Fisher, a founder and partner in Fisher Bay.

Fisher Bay has been building a portfolio of value-add properties that range from multi-family to condo conversion and now the Dome Building as an office asset. Fisher Bay is currently converting the Flatiron building across from the Dome Building from an office only complex to a mixed-use asset. Plans include offices on the first floors and 15 upscale condominiums with attached parking and a private exercise room. “Just like with Flatiron building we purchased just over a year ago, we love investing in this downtown historic corridor,” explained Fisher.

As Fisher Bay targets real estate acquisitions, it also looks for a good composition of general partners to manage an asset. The Dome Building is no exception, with the added general partners of Greg Vital, the President of Morning Pointe Senior Living and Michael Fillauer, the CEO of Fillauer, LLC a global leader in orthotic and prosthetic innovation. Both Vital and Fillauer have a history in real estate and bring immense knowledge and business acumen to managing the Dome Building asset. “It is exciting to be a part of such a historic project and to join with such an experienced and talented group of investors,” said Fillauer.

Vital was a previous owner of the Dome Building for 13 years before selling it to Urban Story Ventures in 2015. “The Dome Building is such an iconic signature part of Chattanooga’s skyline that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to again be a part of continuing the preservation of this Chattanooga history. I know first-hand that this is a great building with a great location for all its tenants,” says Vital.

Fisher Bay has also selected SVN | Second Story Real Estate Management company to manage day to day property affairs. “The Dome Building is ideal for SVN | Second Story and we couldn’t be more excited to manage this premier asset. We’ve wanted to manage this building for a while as I can see it from our offices just across the street. We look forward to managing the Dome Building and ultimately serving happy tenants,” comments Tiffanie Robinson, CEO of SVN | Second Story.

Built in 1892, the Dome Building, an approximately 70,000 square foot office complex, serves as a major architectural feature of Chattanooga’s downtown skyline. Located on the corner of Georgia Avenue and 8th Street, the historic building was originally known as the Ochs Building, but most often referred to as the Times Building. Adolph Ochs, the namesake and owner of The Chattanooga Times and New York Times, became one of Chattanooga’s greatest contributors. At the time, the Dome Building was the city’s tallest structure with a gilded, copper cupola directly above the six-story turret on the southwest corner. Designed by New York architects Theodore DeLemos and A.W. Cordes, the building’s western and southern sides are of the Italian Renaissance Revival style incorporating stone arches, Doric columns, and elaborate stone cornices. The Dome is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fisher Bay, LLC is based in Chattanooga and has a portfolio of primarily mixed-use and multifamily properties in the Southeast. The newest owners of the historic Flatiron Building across the street from the Dome, Fisher Bay looks for opportunities for its investors to provide great experiences which lead to stronger tenant communities.

Fisher Bay is a Southeast commercial real estate investment company based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The company believes that providing great residence and tenant experiences will lead to strong communities. Tenant satisfaction and enjoyment increase demand to be part of such communities and will result in higher persistency, lower vacancies, and ultimately provide high yield returns for investors. Property types include multi-family, mixed-use and office to condo projects. For more information please visit FisherBay.com

Dome Building - General Partners

Robert Fisher

Robert has been a licensed commercial realtor for 20 years in TN, GA & AL. He is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) realtor. Presently, he is a top producing agent within the KW Commercial organization nationally. Prior to becoming an agent in 2001, he worked 7-years of corporate real estate for a fast-food restaurant chain. Robert is a multifamily specialist well versed with all commercial asset classes. He has or previously owned apartments, offices and self-storage facilities. He graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and worked as an engineer for 15 years in his formative years.

Dan LeVan

Dan is an internationally respected executive whose ventures and experience has allowed him to build brands in new regions, consolidating risks, and monetizing illiquid assets with significant ROI. He is an Illinois CPA (inactive), who has led and operated businesses with a $2M to $1B top line and up to $450M EBITDA. Dan has 30-years of experience including construction, financial services, and insurance industries beginning in Public Accounting. Most recently Dan was named Tennessee’s 2017 Small Business Person of the Year. Dan has earned an MBA in International Finance from DePaul University, a BS in Accounting from Grace University and holds 12 other financial & building science designations.

Bo Ferger

Bo has over 30-years of C-level experience building and cultivating ground-level businesses with private and venture capital funds. He has several successful exits including Quickcue, which was purchased by industry leader OpenTable, resulting in a 2.25x return for investors in 14 months. His early professional career started with Warner Bros., where he helped build the largest special effects capability in Los Angeles. His wide diversity of experience and expertise as a business executive provides him the unique ability to quickly build value through branding and technology, maturing and growing business opportunities into desirable acquisition targets. Bo graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee.

Greg Vital

Greg is a Tennessee State Representative who has dedicated his career to public service and community development. Representing the 29th District, Vital is known for his commitment to economic growth, healthcare, and education. Before entering politics, he co-founded Morning Pointe Senior Living, a network of senior care facilities, demonstrating his passion for improving the quality of life for older adults. With deep roots in the community, Vital combines his business acumen with a focus on creating a better future for his constituents in Tennessee.

Michael Fillauer

Michael is the CEO of Fillauer Companies, a leading manufacturer of prosthetic and orthotic products. Under his leadership, Fillauer has grown into a global industry leader, known for innovation and high-quality solutions that enhance the lives of individuals with mobility challenges. With a strong background in business and a deep commitment to improving patient outcomes, Michael Fillauer has played a pivotal role in expanding the company's product offerings and global reach. His visionary approach continues to drive Fillauer Companies forward in the rapidly evolving field of prosthetics and orthotics.