Driving along Gregory Boulevard, you can't miss the 20,000-square-foot building.
"They see something is happening and they're not sure what, and it kind of adds interest,” Christian Eikermann, a Waldo resident, said.
In its heyday, Brandsmart customers flocked to 211 W. Gregory for electronics.
Abdiana properties purchased the property with plans to turn the lower level into retail space and put apartments on top. Ten years later, it still sits empty.
The property sits caddy-corner from Andy Scott's business, Hafkemeyer Motors.
"They'll work on it pretty hot and heavy for a year or so it seems like and then all of a sudden they'll be gone for a year and a half, two years, and you don't see any progress being made,” Scott said.
City records show the building has had a number of violations and is in a constant state of “repair.” Last May, an inspector wrote, ”The open and unfinished condition creates a hazard. Please evaluate as a dangerous building.”
Christina Abnos is the building's co-owner.
"We do all the construction with our own funding, I'm not getting tax credits, tax abatements, I'm not requesting sales tax incentives to actually fund my projects, so we are doing this with our own funds and it does go a bit slower,” Abnos said.
She and her husband oversee a number of properties, including the shopping strip that includes Romanelli Optix and Louie’s Wine Dive.
Abnos blames the financial crisis a few years back for the slowdown. She adds they are working to fix the remaining open violations building inspectors have found.
41 Action News asked for a timeframe when the project will be complete.
"We're hoping for six months, it could go out to a year,” Abnos said.
People who live and work in the area believe it's an ambitious plan, but are optimistic.
"The majority of them think the same way that I do, if they can get it finished it would look nice, it can be a nice spot here in town,” Scott said.
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Andres Gutierrez can be reached at andres.gutierrez@kshb.com
