BIG CHANGES ON Third Street.
Fassbender Funeral Home and Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home, both owned and operated by Jeremy Hansen, are merging into one building–at 926 North third Street, the current home of Swanson-Lundquist.
Makes sense. Why have two competing businesses three blocks apart?
“My intention all along when I bought the two homes (Fassbender in 2003, Swanson-Lundquist in 2006) was to combine them under one roof,” Hansen explains. “It’s just taken some time. I wanted to keep costs down and get out of debt.”
The new name of the business? Fassbender-Swanson-Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services. It’s a mouthful but it honors Hansen’s predecessors and it recognizes that cremations have become more popular.
He’s started work on the project–a complete re-bricking of the exterior of the Swanson-Lundquist building, a conversion of the garage into a catering/reception area, and a total renovation of the inside of the building. Hansen is hoping to get the majority of the work done by the end of the year.
And what of the Fassbender building?
Real simple. Nancy Stang of Stang Family Eyecare, also on Third Street, is buying it.
“We’ve outgrown our building,” she says. “We don’t have enough space or enough parking. It’s been hard for us to keep up with the demand.”
She hired a second doctor to her practice two years ago and plans on adding another in the near future.
Her business will occupy the first floor of the Fassbender building–it’ll be twice the space of her current building–and the top floor will eventually become space for another business or perhaps apartments.
Renovations should start the first of the year. She hopes to move into her new facility by May 1st.
And her old building? Well, it’s been bought by Elegant Seagulls, the digital creative agency that’s now located on Third Street downtown. Owner Ben Johnson says his staff is growing, too, and he needs more space than his current office provides.
He expects to make the move after Stang leaves, likely by early summer. He’s hanging on to his old building for now…but who knows what could happen in the next six months?
It’s musical chairs on Third Street–expanding businesses looking for better locations and willing to invest in them. That speaks well for the neighborhood.
You got news? Email me at briancabell@gmail.com