Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik haver announced state support for 38 historic preservation projects that will rehabilitate 59 historic buildings across Ohio. The projects are expected to leverage approximately $523 million in public and private investment.
The projects are being awarded funding as part of Round 30 of theOhio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program (OHPTC), administered by the Ohio Department of Development. Sixteen communities across the state are receiving awards totaling $50,560,036 in tax credits.
“Ohio’s history is rich with innovation,” said Governor DeWine. “Many of these buildings were once home to the factories, shops, and offices that drove Ohio forward, and they still have a place in Ohio’s future. We are excited to help revive these historic structures so they can once again be a valuable part of their communities.”
“One of the virtues of this program is the ability to preserve our historic buildings while investing in the future,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “What was old is now new, cool, and vibrant.”
The awards will assist private developers in rehabilitating historic buildings in downtowns and neighborhoods. Many of the buildings are vacant today and generate little economic activity. Once rehabilitated, they will drive further investment and interest in adjacent property. Developers are not issued the tax credit until project construction is complete and all program requirements are verified.
“Historic preservation is at the heart of opportunity across our state,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development. “By revitalizing our historic assets, we’re bringing new life to and invigorating our downtowns, and creating hubs for economic activity across our state.”
Of the 16 communities receiving OHPTC tax credits, three of them – Caldwell, Sidney, and Willoughby – are first-time award recipients.
The Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program is administered in partnership with the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office. The State Historic Preservation Office determines if a property qualifies as a historic building and that the rehabilitation plans comply with the United States Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
“The rehabilitation of historic buildings can revitalize main streets, help save the environment – because nothing is greener than using what is already built — and create jobs, with the added bonus of preserving local history,” said Mariangela Pfister, Department Head and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer for Technical Preservation Services in the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office. “Projects awarded this round could transform a historic school, carriage company, theater, church, market, and bank into modern residential units, restaurants, and office space, all while preserving what makes them historic.”
Recipients are:
CENTRAL OHIO
McClure-Nesbitt Motor Company (Columbus)
Total Project Cost: $5,470,000
Total Tax Credit: $250,000
Address: 1505 E. Main St.
Originally constructed in 1926 for the McClure-Nesbitt Motor Company, the building has been vacant for decades and is in major disrepair. The rehabilitation project would renovate the Art Deco style building to house restaurants and leasable spaces for retail and offices, once again contributing to economic activity on Main Street and helping to transform the area.
145 S. Front St. (Columbus)
Total Project Cost: $69,422,816
Total Tax Credit: $6,500,000
Address: 145 S. Front St.
Originally constructed in 1933, this downtown Columbus building has primarily housed state agencies over the years. Most recently, the building was occupied by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services which vacated the site in 2006 and the building has remained vacant since. The project will rehabilitate 26,000 square feet of office space on the lower two floors, with 100 market-rate apartments on the upper four floors. The project will include two levels of indoor parking and a first-floor café with a terrace overlooking the Scioto River.
NORTHEAST OHIO
138-146 S. Broadway (Salem)
Total Project Cost: $733,500
Total Tax Credit: $156,274
Address: 138-146 S. Broadway
Located in downtown Salem’s Historic District, this property was originally constructed in 1924, with the 146 Broadway building added in 1956. The buildings served as the Schwartz Department Store until the 1990s. The buildings will be rehabilitated for specialty retail on the first floor with an apartment on the second floor.
Avenue Building (Cleveland)
Total Project Cost: $10,758,873
Total Tax Credit: $1,072,000
Address: 4400-4500 Euclid Ave.
Part of Cleveland’s Midtown Historic District, the Avenue Building was part of the transformation of Millionaire’s Row to commercial use from the 1910s through the 1920s. The building once housed the Ford Motor Company and Repair Shop and other various tenants. The project will rehabilitate the building for commercial use once again as the headquarters for The Centers for Families and Children, housing administrative offices, a wellness center, and educational facilities.
Federal Warehouse & Storage Company Building (Akron)
Total Project Cost: $7,707,308
Total Tax Credit: $1,875,000
Address: 243 Furnace St.
Located just north of downtown Akron, this building has long been underutilized. It has undeveloped warehouse spaces on the upper floors that will be rehabbed for apartments while the first floor will be utilized for a theater performance space.
Harter Bank Building/KeyBank Annex (Canton)
Total Project Cost: $7,500,000
Total Tax Credit: $1,449,493
Address: 126 Central Plaza N.
Vacant since 2016, the Harter Bank Building has been a contributing resource to the Upper Downtown Canton Historic District since 1922. The building will be rehabilitated to house a food and small business market by the city of Canton with 30 market-rate apartments on the upper floors.
Lakewood BOE Phase 2 (Lakewood)
Total Project Cost: $7,837,209
Total Tax Credit: $965,000
Address: 1470 Warren Rd.
The Lakewood Board of Education Building is an early example of American Schoolhouse Architecture, originally consisting of five structures constructed from 1879 to 1986. The Board of Education took control of the property in 1950s and occupied it through 2019. Phase 2 of this project will redevelop the Grant School and Grant School Addition buildings into a mixed-use site with office space on the main level and three residential apartments on the upper floor.
Monmouth Building (Cleveland)
Total Project Cost: $14,770,521
Total Tax Credit: $1,457,710
Address: 11619 Euclid Ave.
Constructed in 1915 as a commercial apartment block, the Monmouth Building is located in Cleveland’s University Circle. Now vacant, the building will be rehabilitated to house three commercial spaces on the first floor with 12 apartments on the upper floor and contribute to retail, restaurant, and housing options in the growing neighborhood. A new, mixed-use building will be constructed on an adjacent parcel.
Rauch & Lang Carriage Company Building (Cleveland)
Total Project Cost: $63,404,868
Total Tax Credit: $5,000,000
Address: 2168 W. 25th St.
Located in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, the Rauch & Lang Carriage Company building was constructed in 18 separate phases, dating from the late 1870s into the early 2010s, with the majority constructed by the early 1920s. The site consists of 240,000 square feet of space where the company manufactured automobile bodies and industrial trucks through 1947. The now-vacant site will be rehabilitated to house retail, restaurant, assembly, and office space, parking, and 92 apartments.
Park Synagogue (Cleveland Heights)
Total Project Cost: $ 143,669,643
Total Tax Credit: $10,000,000
Address: 3300 Mayfield Rd.
The proposed project involves rehabilitating the 1945-50 Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights. The classroom wing of the synagogue will become home to 26 residential units and 304 new residential units will be constructed on an adjacent parcel. Non-residential spaces in the building will be rehabilitated for event space.
Temple Israel (Akron)
Total Project Cost: $1,248,563
Total Tax Credit: $250,000
Address: 133 Merriman Rd.
The Akron Temple Israel Building was constructed in 1911 to serve Northeast Ohio’s growing Jewish population. Now vacant, the building will be revitalized to serve the community once again. The project includes the adaptive reuse of the worship space for performing arts, the social hall as an event center, and the building’s classrooms into 14 apartments. (pictured)
Variety Store Building & Theatre (Cleveland)
Total Project Cost: $11,917,356
Total Tax Credit: $1,430,853
Address: 11801-11825 Lorain Ave.
Located in Cleveland’s Westown neighborhood, the Variety Store Building and Theatre has undergone several redevelopment attempts. The building will be rehabilitated to serve in its historic use, as a live music and performing arts venue. Several of the site’s storefronts will be rehabilitated for office, retail, and restaurant use while 12 apartments on the second floor will be renovated to serve as housing once again.
Willoughby Union High School (Willoughby)
Total Project Cost: $21,387,009
Total Tax Credit: $2,000,000
Address: 25 Public Sq.
Originally constructed in 1915, Willoughby Union High School grew in increments over the years with a significant addition in 1929. Now vacant, the buildings will be renovated into 35 fully furnished market-rate residential units. The project also includes the construction of 19 townhouses on the site
NORTHWEST OHIO
1301 Adams St. (Toledo)
Total Project Cost: $11,664,174
Total Tax Credit: $1,140,764
Address: 1301 Adams St.
Vacant since the early 2000s, 1301 Adams St. is located in Uptown Toledo, a commercial and retail hub of downtown. Built in 1914 for the Roberts-Toledo Auto Company, the building was converted into office space in the 1940s and later used as an office and sales center through the 1970s. The building will be renovated into a mixture of commercial spaces.
215 N. Main St. (Urbana)
Total Project Cost: $1,005,000
Total Tax Credit: $248,750
Address: 215 N. Main St.
215 N. Main St. is a two-story commercial building in the heart of downtown Urbana. Originally two separate retail spaces, the building’s first floor was connected to 217 N. Main St. in the 1950s but still retains much of its original character. The property is currently vacant but will be renovated to house a hybrid coworking space and business incubator on the first floor with residential space above.
217 N. Main St. (Urbana)
Total Project Cost: $1,449,990
Total Tax Credit: $249,990
Address: 217 N. Main St.
217 N. Main St. is a three-story commercial building in the heart of downtown Urbana. Originally two separate retail spaces, the building’s first floor was connected to 215 N. Main St. in the 1950s but still retains much of its original character. The property is currently vacant but will be renovated to house a hybrid coworking space and business incubator on the first floor with residential space in the upper two floors.
324 N. Erie St. (Toledo)
Total Project Cost: $1,479,400
Total Tax Credit: $250,000
Address: 324 N. Erie St.
Originally constructed for first floor retail with rooming above, 324 N. Erie served several uses over the years, including as a YWCA, a hotel, and office space. The project will redevelop the upper, vacant floors of the building into eight market rate apartments above the existing barber shop on the first floor.
The Ohio Building (Sidney)
Total Project Cost: $11,228,850
Total Tax Credit: $1,800,000
Address: 113 N. Ohio Ave.
Constructed in 1923, the five-story Ohio Building originally housed businesses and office space with the Venus Chocolate candy manufacturing facility occupying the rear. The building later hosted a variety of tenants, including a prominent pool hall and bar, but has been vacant for many years. The project will rehabilitate the site into a mixed-use development featuring first-floor retail space and housing on the upper floors, lending to the urban style living trend in downtown Sidney.
Toledo City Market (Toledo)
Total Project Cost: $13,579,964
Total Tax Credit: $1,355,286
Address: 201-237 S. Erie St.
Located in the Toledo Warehouse District in the heart of downtown Toledo, this project will rehabilitate the last few bays and civic auditorium of the Toledo City Market. The historic rehabilitation project will give new life and vibrancy to the area, converting the space into a dance studio, food hall, and culinary education center.
SOUTHEAST OHIO
Black Diamond Development (Shawnee)
Total Project Cost: $1,145,400
Total Tax Credit: $114,450
Address: 116, 118 W. Main, 101 Walnut St.
Located in the Shawnee Historic District, these three buildings are in various states of disrepair, suffering significant decay due to neglect. The historic preservation project will restore them and create a unique space for visitors and increase tourism opportunities. This project will create a visitors’ center and retail space on the building’s first floors with lodging/vacation rentals on the upper floors. 101 Walnut Street – Shawnee Jail – will keep the jail cells intact to house two vacation rentals.
Mills Building (Caldwell)
Total Project Cost: $1,250,000
Total Tax Credit: $250,000
Address: 421 West St.
Located in downtown Caldwell, the Mills Building is an important landmark in the community. The proposed rehabilitation would return the vacant portions of the building to productive use, including office and event space on the upper floors. The project will also improve existing retail uses and provide ADA access to the entire building.
SOUTHWEST OHIO
1015 Dayton St. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $2,275,900
Total Tax Credit: $250,000
Address: 1015 Dayton St.
Located in the historic West End neighborhood of Cincinnati, this townhouse and its two-story carriage house was constructed around 1870 in the Italianate style. The buildings are a part of the Dayton Street National Register Historic District, once a fashionable residential enclave for Cincinnati’s wealthiest residents in the late 19th century. Once renovations are complete, the property will feature one residential unit and two short term hospitality units.
1221 Jackson St. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $1,089,757
Total Tax Credit: $194,090
Address: 1221 Jackson St.
Part of a larger reinvestment project known as the Community & Pendleton Apartments; 1221 Jackson Street is one of 18 buildings in the Pendleton/Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati slated for redevelopment. This four-unit historic building will be redeveloped to preserve its historical features and to retain its historical residential use. Once completed, the project will offer affordable housing units for neighborhood residents.
137 W. McMicken Ave. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $925,000
Total Tax Credit: $118,750
Address: 137 W. McMicken Ave.
This four-story mixed-use masonry building was originally constructed in 1858. Located in the Over-the-Rhine Historic District in Cincinnati, the property will undergo rehabilitation efforts to restore the building to its former state. Once completed, the property will house four residential units with a common area at the top of the building.
1625 Vine St. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $2,528,500
Total Tax Credit: $250,000
Address: 1625 Vine St.
1625 Vine Street is a four-story historic building located in the Over-the-Rhine Historic District. Despite a partial renovation in 2003, the building has retained much of its historical integrity. The first-floor commercial space has sat empty for a number of years and updates are needed on the upper floors to retain quality of life for residents. After rehabilitation, the 25,000 square foot project will house 14 new apartments on the upper floors and a restaurant in the first-floor commercial space.
1719 Vine St. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $2,518,500
Total Tax Credit: $250,000
Address: 1719 Vine St.
This three-story building is located in the historic Over-the-Rhine Historic District. The now-vacant building will be rehabilitated while preserving interior and exterior historical features. Once completed, the building will house six new affordable apartments, including studios and efficiency units. The first-floor commercial space will be renovated to accommodate a new restaurant.
1729 Vine St. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $2,578,500
Total Tax Credit: $250,000
Address: 1729 Vine St.
Located in the Over-the-Rhine Historic District in Cincinnati, this 9,000 square foot, three-story building will be renovated for mixed-use. Renovations include four new multi-bedroom units, which are in high demand for the area, to accommodate households with children, mobility issues, and aging in place. The first-floor commercial space will be converted to house a restaurant.
1740 Brewster Ave. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $1,640,156
Total Tax Credit: $250,000
Address: 1740 Brewster Ave.
1740 Brewster is located in Cincinnati’s Evanston Historic District, a streetcar neighborhood that was once the commercial and social hub of the African American community in the mid-twentieth century. The rehabilitation project will preserve the historical integrity of the building and create 10 new housing units. On the first floor, one commercial space will be added and another currently occupied commercial space will be renovated.
3570 Montgomery Rd. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $1,535,050
Total Tax Credit: $250,000
Address: 3570 Montgomery Rd.
Located in Cincinnati’s Evanston Historic District, the Hollenbeck Building at 3570 Montgomery Rd. is a mixed-use project that will restore one vacant and blighted historic building. Situated on a 24-hour bus route, the project will bring six new studio, one-, two-, and three-unit housing apartments to the neighborhood featuring in-unit laundry with new heating, cooling, electric, and plumbing systems.
3604-08 Montgomery Rd. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $1,685,203
Total Tax Credit: $250,000
Address: 3604-08 Montgomery Rd.
Located in the Evanston Historic District, 3604-08 Montgomery Rd. has provided Cincinnati with a variety of services over the years, including a tailoring company, furnace company, market, and a branch of the Cincinnati Public Library. After rehabilitation, the project will provide 10 new housing units to the neighborhood.
519 Dandridge St. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $1,089,757
Total Tax Credit: $194,090
Address: 519 Dandridge St.
This four-story residential building is located in the Pendleton neighborhood of Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine Historical District. Part of a larger reinvestment effort in the neighborhood, the building will be rehabilitated to preserve and maintain the affordable rental housing on site. Remaining historical features will be retained as the building’s four units are renovated.
523 Dandridge St. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $817,318
Total Tax Credit: $145,567
Address: 523 Dandridge St.
This project includes the renovation of a three-unit residential building in Over-the-Rhine’s Pendleton neighborhood. One of 18 buildings in the Community & Pendleton Apartments project, the building underwent rehabilitation in 2003, but is once again in need of critical repairs and updates. The renovation will make much needed improvements to the building while preserving the three affordable units and retaining remaining interior and exterior historical features.
527 Dandridge St. (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $1,089,757
Total Tax Credit: $194,090
Address: 527 Dandridge St.
Part of the Community & Pendleton Apartments project in Over-the-Rhine, this project will rehabilitate this four-story building to retain housing in the neighborhood. Renovations will make critical repairs and updates to the building while preserving the remaining historical features. Once completed, the building will continue to provide four affordable housing units in the community.
Findlay Parkside (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $47,325,299
Total Tax Credit: $4,640,000
Address: 1829 Vine St.
The Findlay Parkside project includes the redevelopment of 20 predominantly vacant buildings in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine Historic District. Comprised of small scale, mixed-use commercial and residential structures, buildings range in size from one to four stories and are in varying states of disrepair. Once completed, the project will house 65 residential units, restoring each building to its historic use with first-floor commercial space with residential upper floors or full residential use.
La Ventura Apartments (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $1,286,702
Total Tax Credit: $240,750
Address: 700 Chalfonte Pl.
Located in Cincinnati’s Avondale neighborhood, this property has been vacant for 15 years and has fallen into disrepair. After rehabilitation, the project will house 23 apartments, while retaining building’s unique Mediterranean architectural style and features.
Middletown Building & Deposit Association (Middletown)
Total Project Cost: $8,272,870
Total Tax Credit: $1,622,131
Address: 11 S. Main St.
The Middletown Building and Deposit Association project will rehabilitate a prominent, vacant high-rise building in downtown Middletown. Built in 1930, the Art Deco building is one of the city’s important landmarks. The former bank building will be rehabilitated into 21 market-rate apartments on the upper floors with office space on the first floor. Many of the historical architectural features remain in the banking hall on the first floor and distinctive exterior features, including ornamental metalwork, lighting, and stonework, will be repaired and retained.
St. Mark’s Church (Cincinnati)
Total Project Cost: $21,833,623
Total Tax Credit: $2,000,000
Address: 3500 Montgomery Rd.
Originally constructed in 1914, with the rectory addition completed in 1950, the St. Mark’s Church is now vacant and in a state of decline. The rehabilitation project will restore the ornate architecture of the church and provide the Evanston neighborhood with a communal area for event and business space, and a teaching laboratory to enhance the skillset of the local community.
Well House Hotel (Hamilton)
Total Project Cost: $16,456,033
Total Tax Credit: $1,645,000
Address: 10 S. Monument St.
Located just off the east bank of the Great Miami River in downtown Hamilton, this circa 1927 building was originally home to the Anthony Wayne Hotel. Later repurposed as affordable senior housing, this colonial revival structure is underutilized and in poor condition. The rehabilitation project will restore the building to its former use, turning the 51,000 square foot property into a 54-room boutique hotel and restaurant.
