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Chandler Makes Plans for RAO SiteLock Icon

2 min read

When Robert A. Oliver put his venerable video store up for sale last year on Main Street in Little Rock, developer and businessman John Chandler could just envision the vast but cluttered space as a new home for his international textile company.

Impressed with the building’s wraparound mezzanine and 20-foot ceilings, he just had to get past a few false walls.

“It’s a Charles Thompson building, and Thompson was one of the most notable architects in Arkansas at that time [the building was dedicated in 1920],” Chandler told Whispers on Thursday. “It’s a historic building, so we’re going to go back as close as we can to its original plans. When we got in, there were a lot of crazy things in there. The architects didn’t even want to start drawing until we could get past all the false walls.”

Founded in 1977, RAO Video was already one of the nation’s oldest video rental and sales stores when Oliver paid $120,000 for the vintage Main Street building in 2001.

For 20 years he housed himself and his business in the 18,400-SF building, relying on erotic titles for most of his profits through the peak and eventual decline of the video store era. Late last year, he sold the property to Chandler for $850,000.

The new owner hired Austin Construction and SCM Architects, both of Little Rock, to transform the building for Asian American Partners, which will get corporate offices for about 40 staffers, meeting spaces and a 7,000-SF upstairs showroom.

“The building has a lot of original features, things you just won’t find in a commercial property unless it’s an older building,” he said.

Chandler’s textile company is now operating in a renovated 1869-vintage house at 201 Izard St. After the move, he expects to lease out that location.

Chandler isn’t sure about the first occupants at 609 Main, but he suspects they were retailers. “Before Mr. Oliver moved in with RAO, the building was a Jimmy Karam’s men’s store, and before that it was a Haverty’s Furniture,” Chandler said. “Now you’ve gobbled up nearly 100 years of history.”

Demolition is complete and the floors have been roughly sanded, Chandler said. Construction should begin next month and be complete by the end of the year.

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