Buildings once condemned or, at the very least, showing their centenarian age, are again shining with polished wood floors and spiffy new paint jobs.

Red brick covered by years of stucco and paint has been allowed to breathe again, showing off its Old-World charm to passing traffic.

And one interested group couldn’t be happier about all the improvements: the tenants.

“Maybe after all the years I lived in Europe, it just had that feel to me,” said Lynn Ward, owner of Blue Tiger gift shop, which recently opened in one of four newly restored buildings on North Salem Street.

Ward was talking about the overall charm of the historic downtown but is clearly happy with her new digs. Original hardwood pine floors and plank ceilings frame her displays of unique glassware, jewelry and other gift items.

Across the hall, a coffee shop, also newly opened, already has a steady stream of customers flowing through the doors, ordering lattes, herbal teas and biscotti. Sit-down customers have a wide window view onto Salem Street, the main drag.

“The building was condemned when I bought it,” said Joe Foresta, who hired D Cubed Builders Inc. to bring the building back to life.

Foresta’s building, called the Salem Street Promenade, is one of four buildings on the same block that have recently undergone extensive renovations. Three of the four have been done to the strict standards of the National Register of Historic Places.

Next to the Promenade, which used to be the Apex Mule & Supply Company, sits the Meckes Building (named after one of its partners). The owner and contractors won an Anthemion Award from Capital Area Preservation for their renovation work.

Next door to Meckes, Helm Builders is in the midst of renovations and signing tenants for the Tobacco & Mule Exchange building that will eventually include a spa and a restaurant. Already a children’s store and an upscale women’s clothing store are open.

Keep walking east from downtown and you’ll pass by the town-owned Halle Cultural Arts Center, which opened in January following an extensive renovation. The building now houses a 120-seat theater, classrooms, gallery exhibits and more.

Owners of the buildings say one of the biggest challenges in doing the restorations is trying to keep the authenticity of the original while getting the building up to current safety codes.

Buildings from a century ago often had narrow passageways and were not built handicap-accessible, for instance. Modern air conditioning and plumbing are more efficient.

Some owners think their tenants have the best of both worlds: historic charm with the latest amenities. The tenants agree.

“It’s like stepping back in time,” said Julie Diaz, co-owner of Common Grounds Coffee House and Desserts, about each time she opens for business. Bar-height marble tables and overhead red lighting juxtapose the original brick walls that provide the backdrop for the baristas. Foresta said the undertaking for the Salem Street Promenade — he isn’t yet sure of the total cost because he’s not done — has been massive. Plans must be submitted if one is applying for a listing on the National Register of Historic Places, something that offers the owner tax credits in addition to ensuring the building meets strict preservation standards.

Often, construction workers don’t know what they’ll unearth until they’re knee-deep in sawdust.

Workers at the Promenade found the old entrance buried beneath layers of renovations. It allowed them to make new archways the exact size of the original doorways. They also found tracks that show there were barn doors on the building front — most likely enabling mule carts to pass through.

Foresta had to find 100-year-old brick that matched the original to create a new entrance way. He had windows manufactured with weights and pulleys, same as the originals.

Stuart Jones with Jones & Cnossen Engineering said the paint on the Meckes Building was removed to reveal original brick and red mortar — unique even today since mortar usually is gray.

The investments into the buildings have been hefty, but Foresta said, “It’s a good business move. ... There’s enormous demand [downtown].” Foresta hasn’t had to advertise the space. He gets phone calls and people coming through the doors of the work in progress.

Foresta, who has a history of restoring buildings, said regardless of whether owners are aiming to get National Register placement, they all want their building to fit the small-town charm that has come to define downtown Apex.

“Everybody wants the small-town feel,” he said.

Sellars Building

Address: 108-110 N. Salem St. Formerly: Built in 1908, it once was the largest commercial buildings in Apex, it housed retail downstairs and offices above. Restoration year and cost: 2002 (cost unavailable) Current use: Retail downstairs, offices upstairs Square footage: 6,000-plus Historic status: Listed on the National Registor of Historic Places.

Peak City Grill & Bar

Address: 126 N. Salem St. Formerly: Built in 1905, it was owned by the Seymour family, and had been a hardware store, general store and feed and mill store. Restoration year and cost: 2005, $1.6 million. Current use: Restaurant and bar seating about 250; offices upstairs. Square footage: 10,000 Status: Renovated to fit in with the historic streetscape.

Salem Street Promenade

Address: 219 N. Salem St. Year Built: 1909 Formerly: Apex Mule & Supply Co., car dealership, retail, church. Restoration year and cost: 2007-08, $1 million-plus. Current use: Retail downstairs, offices upstairs. Restaurant planned. Square footage: 12,000 Historic status: Plans approved for listing on National Register of Historic Places.

Meckes Building

Address: 221-223 N. Salem St. Year Built: 1912 Formerly: Part of the Apex Mule & Supply Co., Hinton & Sons Hardware, various retail. Restoration year and cost: 2006-2007, $800,000. Current use: Offices and retail Square footage: 9,000 Historic status: Plans approved for listing on National Register of Historic Places.

Tobacco & Mule Exchange

Address: 225 N. Salem St. Year Built: 1917 Formerly: The tobacco exchange and mule stable Restoration year and cost: 2007-08 (cost unavailable). Current use: Retail and office Square footage: 22,000 Status: Restored to fit in with the historic downtown streetscape.

Halle Cultural Arts Center of Apex

Address: 237 N. Salem St. Formerly: Built in 1912, it was once a fresh meat and vegetable market, firehouse and jail. Housed town government for 65 years. Restoration year and cost: 2007, $2.2 million (funded by bond proceeds, federal and county grants and private fundraising). Curent use: Town building for cultural arts peformances, classes, art exhibitions. Square footage: 11,000 (double original size) Status: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Contact Wendy Lemus at 460-2605 or wlemus@nando.com.