Buildings to be revitalized after fire with help of grant

UPPER SANDUSKY—Downtown will soon get a facelift with the help of a Brownfield Grant from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. After a fire devastated a part of downtown North Sandusky Avenue during the summer of 2022, Viceroy Hall, Shotzy's, Koehler Drug and Wood's Antiques were damaged by smoke, fire and water. Locally based and family-owned property management company Thrive Local stepped in to revitalize the area and plans to turn the empty space into Stoked, a bar and restaurant with bowling and arcade games; Sip and Savor, a wine and cheese store; The Nook, a private event space; Chapters, a part coffee shop, part cocktail bar and part bookstore; and a 21-room boutique hotel called The Novel. Thrive Local received a Brownfield Grant for $57,000 from the state to assist in testing for and cleaning hazardous materials in the revitalized spaces. According to the Ohio Department of Development, the grant can be used for the "acquisition of a brownfield, demolition performed at a brownfield and the installation or upgrade of the minimum amount of infrastructure necessary to make a brownfield site operational for economic development activity." The grant provided $350 million statewide to revitalize properties that were underdeveloped or underused but where hazardous substances could be found. One million dollars was reserved for each of Ohio's 88 counties and what was left was given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Thrive Local CFO Jacob Badenhop says the project will eventually cost much more than the grant provides. He later said the company also received a $700,000 grant to demolish what was once Shotzy's which would be used to build a patio area for the new Stoked restaurant. But Shotzy's is the only building that will be torn down, the rest of the affected buildings will be renovated. "We're clearing them, we're cleaning them of all the smoke damage, the mold damage, getting all of that out of there," Badenhop said. Badenhop then discussed other properties in Upper Sandusky Thrive Local has worked on including a cocktail bar and restaurant, Fort 88, as well as other cities in Ohio that have had similar revitalization efforts. "We're just trying to keep the momentum going, bring life to some of these old buildings," he said. But all good things take time. Thrive Local representative Danielle McWilliams advised that Stoked would be the first to open with other businesses opening in quick succession. But Thrive Local would like the businesses to be fully open by the end of 2025. Badenhop said that Upper has good restaurants and places to hang out but finds the city needs something more to draw people into the downtown area. "The goal is to get people back into downtown Upper," he said. McWilliams also emphasized this point by saying, "There's just not much for people to go and do. That's what we were hoping to provide, a little bit of entertainment after dinner and shopping."