1 Stop Building Supply sold. What's in the future for the North End building?
Outside of 1 Stop Building Supply the signs pretty much say it all.
The bright yellow banners hanging from the building at 236 J.T. Connell Highway declare “Retirement Sale” and “Everything must be sold,” but there are already plans for the future of the building.
James L. Hildebrand, who has a home in Newport but lives primarily in London, England, purchased the property for $2.2 million with a 6 to 8-month leaseback. Dave Lawrence at Lila Delman was the real estate agent for the exclusive sale. The leaseback permits the owners, brothers Lionel and Christopher Loranger, time to liquidate the extensive inventory of One Stop before retiring from the retail business and pursuing other interests.
Hildebrand said that when the lease back ends next year he intends to use the property for the repair and restoration of fire trucks.
“We will have a large working garage and machine shop and a separate large sealed paint room with air filters," Hildebrand said in an email. "I would like to work with a technical college or school to train young persons in fire truck repair and restoration leading to possible permanent careers.”
Hildebrand said he'll also look for a new retail store to use the front street-facing part of the 23,000-square-foot building.
Three years ago, Hildebrand bought the former Newport Daily News building on Malbone Road along with the surrounding five acres where he and his friends are establishing a private Antique Fire Truck Museum and Fire Safety Education Center at the site.
“The 1 Stop property is just 0.8 miles, that is 3 minutes from the fire truck museum. That is an acceptable short run for our antique fire trucks," Hildebrand said. "We will also be in a position to rotate our antique fire truck collection between the two properties and have special exhibits.”
Hildebrand is a member of the Rhode Island Antique Fire Apparatus Society, which he described as a “very active daughter chapter of the National Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America,” he said.
“We use the fire trucks for charity fundraisers, fire truck musters, parades, school fire safety demonstrations and funeral corteges for firemen who have answered their last call out,” he said.
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“Until we get the museum properly organized and meet relevant health and safety standards, viewing will be by appointment only,” Hildebrand wrote in an email.
“In due course, I hope it will become a public museum,” he said.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 1 Stop Building Supply in Newport sold, to become fire truck repair site
