The iconic Gryphon Building has added another new tenant.

Mountain View Modular Homes has opened an office and showroom on the second floor of the office building at the corner of West Street and Merchants Row.

Mountain View Modular Homes specializes in custom-built modular homes, log homes, and garage packages. The company manufactures homes from starter models to custom-designed mansions.

Owner Drew Pierce said after running the business out of his home office, it was time to relocate to a more visible location with a showroom.

Pierce, a third-generation home builder, sells Ritz-Craft homes, a Pennsylvania manufacturer of custom-built modular homes.

He said he fills a niche market for people who want a custom home but don’t want a stick built or manufactured home.

“It’s less expensive than stick building, more expensive than manufactured,” Pierce said.

He said Ritz-Craft Corp. has finished homes that start for under $100,000. Pierce said he’s currently doing a $300,000 home in Isle LaMotte.

At his showroom in the Gryphon Building, customers can pick out faucets, fixtures, cabinets, lights, carpets, flooring, siding and roofing material.

Pierce said his homes are also Energy Star rated for energy efficiency.

Mike Coppinger, Downtown Rutland Partnership executive director, said while ground floor retail space is visible to the public, the upper floors in the downtown provide an essential mix of services such as law firms, and accounting and insurance agencies.

“A lot of those buildings, the majority are filled on those upper floors,” Coppinger said. “That helps landlords stabilize rents on the first floor.”

Coppinger couldn’t provide a percentage in terms of occupancy of the upper floors but said “it was very healthy.”

He said Pierce’s company (www.mountainviewmodulars.com) is the first of its kind of business to find a home in the downtown.

The Gryphon Building is one of several downtown properties owned by Mark Foley and his family.

bruce.edwards

@rutlandherald.com