Business Buzz: Bad News for Barber

Brash Brandon Barber, who tried to push through the Divinity eyesore on Dickson Street and later distinguished himself by taking out several mailboxes while driving on Deane Street, is not quite as confident as when he told parochial locals that there was a new developer in town.

Barber did complete construction of the Legacy Building on Watson Street and reportedly has been able to sell seven of the 37 upscale condos. Subcontractors who performed work on the Legacy filed liens or foreclosures totaling around $1.1 million last month, and condo sales have come to a halt. Lasco Acoustic & Drywall of Dallas filed a lien for $473,752 on September 6; Harness Roofing of Harrison filed a lien for $121,734 on September 7; and EWI Inc. and RGC Glass filed a lien foreclosure action for $124,604 on September 21. Kimbel Mechanical Inc. filed three foreclosures totaling $100,709 against other Barber properties. There might be other actions yet to come.

The Legacy building is rather attractive and not a bad addition to the Dickson Street area. Its main aesthetic contribution is that it blocks the view of the ugly University Baptist Church when traveling north on School Street. We should all be glad that Barber bailed on the Divinity project when he did. Otherwise, Fayetteville might have had yet another big hole in the ground instead of a promised hotel.