June 16 , 2022 The Beacon • 17

Josie Sellers

Thanks to the support of the community , a huge project on Main Street is moving along . A crane was back at the Selby building on June 8 to put steel into the building .

By Josie Sellers

Thanks to the support of the community , a huge project on Main Street is moving along .

A crane was back at the Selby building on June 8 to put steel into the building . Restoring the structure at 441 Main St . is a joint venture between Our Town Coshocton and developers Matt Hall Parsons and Paul Gilbert , who are from Texas .

Our Town purchased the building for $ 1 and took ownership of it from the Coshocton County Land Reutilization Corporation . Financial support from the Coshocton Foundation and the Montgomery Foundation got the process of shoring up and stabilizing the building started .

“ We ’ ve now been able to do more ,” OTC Director Lanny Spaulding said . “ Coshocton Lumber has been extremely generous with material cost . Joel Jumper from Coshocton Lumber is committed to community progress .”

MFM donated roofing materials , and Muskingum Grinding also has assisted with the project .

“ By fall we were hoping to just have a new ceiling where it collapsed ,” Spaulding said . “ Now we are going to have a weather-proof and shored-up building . Locally sourced materials have gone into that , and we are very proud of that . Matt and Paul will be the end users of the building . Our goal as a nonprofit is not to compete , but to help the private sector .”

Several plans are being

looked at for the roughly 60,000-square-foot building .

“ On the corner of the ground floor they are committed to putting in a lunch counter like the one that was there ,” Spaulding said . “ The original mosaic tiles are still there . There will be room for other tenants , and they are in serious talks with one right now .”

Submitted

The original mosaic tiles are still in the Selby building where the lunch counter was .

The third floor will be a community event space , and the second floor is open to consideration with talks about short- or longterm housing and offices . A space also was identified for an elevator .

“ Intel is coming within an hour of us and bringing 3,000 jobs ,” Spaulding said . “ There will be a need for residence and secondary businesses . We are right in the pathway for that . Downtown has been playing catch-up , but we are starting to be in a position now where we can react to news like this .”

He also said progress is being made by Liz Argyle and her business partner on the former Hallmark building on Main Street . There will be two commercial

spaces available there and apartments for long-term tenants .

“ They are putting on a new roof and doing demo inside ,” said Tom Barcroft , OTC ’ s board president . “ They have to repair some brick walls on the inside , but the outside is fine .”

He also said work is being done on the row houses at Sixth and Chestnut , which are owned by Bradkins LLC .

“ I ’ m glad to see action around those ,” Barcroft said .

Our Town Coshocton is a 501 ( c )( 3 ) nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and development of the downtown historic district . It is a full member community of statewide preservation organization , Heritage Ohio , and a member of national Main Street America . For more on Our Town Coshocton and its upcoming projects and events , visit www . ourtowncoshocton . org .

Now HEAR this .... Thank you Coshocton & Surrounding Counties for allowing me to serve you for 7 years ! I ' ll be here for many more because

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