Blowing Rock Investment Properties is expanding to a second building on King Street that will open to students for potential real estate internships.

The real estate company, primarily located in Blowing Rock, is constructing a two-story building at 736 W. King St.

BRIP is a firm that sells real estate across the High Country.

“This will be a one-stop shop,” owner of BRIP Scott Macintosh said. “We are looking to rent the top floor out and put companies in there that would be beneficial for the real estate, and vice versa.”

Macintosh said the building will act as a resource center for App State students looking to intern with real estate.

“I really wanted to involve the local community in this concept,” Macintosh said. “I’m a big supporter of keeping it local, so that all of us who live here can benefit from it.”

Macintosh said BRIP is focusing on convenience for consumers because of its importance in this day and age.

Macintosh said the original plans were to renovate the Wade Brown building, but the company ended up tearing it all down.

“Over the process of the two years since we bought it, it really transformed to a much bigger project than we originally thought we were going to do,” Macintosh said.

So far, Macintosh said BRIP worked with the Town of Boone, to get conceptual drawings approved and ensure it stays within city guidelines.

BRIP plans to complete the building by mid fall.

Macintosh said he does not want to disturb neighbors during the transition and building process.

“We don’t want it to be that because we’re growing, they’re hurting,” Macintosh said.

The building is located between Speakeasy Tattoo Company and Elevated Piercing.

“We’ve been impacted a little bit,” said Cacey Michaelson, a worker at Speakeasy Tattoo Company. “It was loud for a little bit, for the couple days that they were tearing everything down.”

Erin Lee, owner of Elevated Piercing, said there hasn’t been any inconvenience, other than a little bit of noise during demolition.

Macintosh said the new location will provide better exposure and expansion for the company, because BRIP will no longer feel pigeonholed to only selling in Blowing Rock.

“We don’t know what the future of this building is going to be,” Macintosh said. “I think that’s good planning. Being in the real estate business, you understand that you don’t build for today, you build for tomorrow.”