A look inside Uptown Marion’s new Broad and Main building

MARION — The first Broad and Main building in the heart of Uptown Marion will welcome its first residents Thursday.

Community members got to take a sneak peek of the new apartments during the Marion Economic Development Corp.'s Industry and Development bus tour Tuesday afternoon.

An official grand opening is set for the middle of November.

Before stopping at the new mixed-use complex, the tour also included a look at work on the new Marion Independent Stadium behind Marion High School, the Lebeda Mattress Factory and Victory Sports Center.

The first Broad and Main building, which has been under construction since fall 2021, is mostly finished. Crews are making the final touches on paint around the building and the lobby still needs to be furnished.

Kayla Toale, vice president of properties for Eagle View Partners, the developer of the project, said the first building’s residential floors so far are 60 percent leased.

The building’s top two floors consist of 35 one- and two-bedroom apartments, with the first floor made up of eight commercial spaces.

Four of the commercial spaces already are leased.

The apartments feature floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Uptown Marion, wood floors, an open kitchen space, a working area and washer and dryers.

The leased spaces so far include an interior design company, a hair salon, a smoothie shop, and an infant’s and children’s clothing store.

Toale said the goal is to get a brewery or restaurant on the west end of the building, closest to the City Square Park.

“The space is a blank slate, but we’re hoping to get someone signed sooner rather than later,” Toale said.

“We just want to make sure they are a good blend with Broad and Main and the Uptown as a whole.”

MEDCO next month will be moving its office in City Hall to the west end of the second floor, looking out at City Square Park and Seventh Avenue.

The space, which still is being finished, has a full outdoor patio along and an open classroom concept with co-working spaces and a couple conference rooms.

“All the spaces will be used by our business partners,” MEDCO President Nick Glew said. “We’re excited to roll this out.”

The other building, slated to open in late 2023 or early 2024, will be residential only, with around 40 units.

A groundbreaking for that project is expected to come in the next couple weeks, Toale said.

The costs are $13 million for the first building and $16 million for the second.

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