If you’re looking for good digs that won’t break the bank, a pad that recalls a bygone era or you’re just thrilled about all that goes into vibrant downtown revitalization, the steady stream of folks seeking a warm place to hang their hats at Historic Lofts at Waco High can’t help but buoy your spirits. Even on a cold, rainy Monday afternoon, we saw people bunched up, waiting to see what some hope will be their new quarters.

A 62-year-old handicapped woman who hopes to move into a loft this week expressed happiness that the project to turn old Waco High School, 815 Columbus Ave., into loft apartments was at last complete: “I thought they’d never get this done, and it’s turned out wonderful.”

Another woman told us that she wasn’t there to rent one of the 104 lofts but to arrange an April 22 tour for members of the Waco High classes of 1945 and ’46 when they gather. She herself already had toured the once-abandoned, four-story, 127,000-square-foot building last week and was overjoyed at various touches suggesting the old WHS campus, including facsimiles of classroom chalkboards.

Walk into what was once Waco High’s expansive study hall and is now a residents’ lounge: You’ll find an old drum serving as a table. Nearby, craftsmen are restoring an old mural celebrating the “Spirit of Waco High.”

Yes, requirements are stiff for those wanting to live in these surprisingly roomy, evocative and affordable loft apartments. Among other things, you can’t make more than $22,700 if you’re single or $25,900 if you’re a couple and want to live here. Also, you can’t owe money from past rental or utility contracts, and you can’t be overdue on student loans.

True, that may preclude some folks from becoming residents, but property manager Robyn Moss tells us that it’s still a tremendous opportunity for many who have long wanted to live downtown but couldn’t afford many of the lofts elsewhere in the area, some ranging from $1,000 to $1,500 a month. A three-bedroom loft at Historic Lofts at Waco High runs $650 a month.

Beyond that, this means more residents living downtown besides those already taking advantage of other new residential property, which in turn makes the argument for such amenities as a streetcar system — now under discussion by city leaders — even more viable.

It also means even more promising economic prospects for other new endeavors downtown, including Barnett’s, an Irish-styled pub owned by Waco insurance executive Tom Chase, set to open in March. We plan to be at the opening, too, if only to raise a pint and toast our good fortunes downtown, hopefully with some new friends.