.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Ad agency buys downtown I.F. building

MCS Advertising has not only got a new address in downtown Idaho Falls, but a new building.

Agency owner Lisa Fischbach said they were determined to keep an actual address downtown. “We’d been to a seminar on advertising agency principles, and they really advocated owning your own place,” she said. “We love it downtown and want to be part of the community. We want to have a real location.”

While visiting Grandma’s Relics on B Street (indulging her passion for vintage plastic and glass), owners Debbie Hipps and Elaine Gray told her they and their silent partner, Karin Fry, were looking for someone to buy their building, which is on the corner of Park Avenue and B Street, next door to the Center Theatre. After some negotiation, the deal was done.

Fischbach said they’ve taken to calling their property “Block 22” after its legal description, which dates back to 1884. They have gotten lots of paperwork that dates back to then, including the original warranty deed. “I can’t believe this came all this way with all these owners,” she said.

MCS has its offices on the second floor. Fishbach and her real estate agent, Kevin Cutler, are looking for tenants for the street level. They are also looking into finding grant money that will allow them to pull off the plastic siding that was put on in the 1960s and restore the building to its original splendor. The found an excellent picture in a Polk’s City Directory from 1920, on which they plan to base their efforts.

The agency’s clients include Blacker’s, Taylor Group Automotive, MicroServ, Idaho Falls Regional Airport and Doug Andrus Trucking. It’s web address is http://www.mightymcs.com.