November 16, 200915 yr I came across a report on the possible restoration of downtown Newark's Louis Sullivan bank building from (of all places) a Chicago Tribune architecture blog. A visit to Louis Sullivan's jewel-box bank in Newark, Ohio--is its restoration ongoing or stopped? Louis Sullivan's jewel-box banks, which brighten small-town cityscapes throughout the Midwest, continue to fascinate architecture buffs, although the news about them is not always goood. Here is a report from Cityscapes reader Arthur Simon, a Chicago M.D., about Sullivan's Home Building Association bank in Newark, Ohio. It's followed by a comment from Chicago's cultural historian (and Sullivan expert) Tim Samuelson, who had visted the building about a year ago. And some photos from the posting: Complete post at http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2009/11/a-visit-to-louis-sullivans-jewelbox-bank-in-newark-ohio-.html?obref=obinsite and http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2009/11/more-looks-at-louis-sullivans-newark-ohio-bank-.html
December 30, 200915 yr Decade in review: Downtown comes to life Newark revitalized by additions -- and some subtractions BY AMY HOLLON • Advocate Reporter • December 29, 2009 NEWARK -- Although downtown Newark faces many of the same challenges it did in 2000, it's hard to argue progress hasn't been made. In fact, many city leaders believe the downtown area has had several dramatic successes that can be attributed mainly to The Midland Theatre, The Works and improved appearance. http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20091229/NEWS01/912290305/Decade-in-review-Downtown-comes-to-life
January 2, 201015 yr Developer has grand plans for downtown Newark BY AMY HOLLON • Advocate Reporter • January 2, 2010 NEWARK -- Significant changes to Newark's downtown area in the past 10 years might have been slow, but developer Jerry McClain has a gigantic burst planned for the beginning of the next decade. Not only has the developer already spent $3 million of his own money to acquire almost every building between Second and Fourth streets, north of Locust Street, he is in the process of looking for another developer to restore at least half of the north side of the Licking County Courthouse Square. Streetscapes, with trees, bushes and lamps, are planned to connect the two areas. http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100102/NEWS01/1020305/Developer-has-grand-plans-for-downtown-Newark
March 22, 201015 yr Planning Commission approves preliminary Newark High School plan BY SETH ROY • Advocate Reporter • March 19, 2010 NEWARK -- The preliminary plan for the Newark High School renovation project was approved this week by the Newark Planning Commission. The approval will let the district bid early site preparation work late this month or in early April, which would get started in the summer, said Paul Garland, with architect Legat & Kingscott. "We're hoping to break ground the day after commencement," he said, adding that the work would include sanitary, storm and water lines. This is just the first step in getting the overall plan approved by the city, Garland said. Each of the building's three phases will go up for approval later this year. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100319/NEWS01/3190317/-1/NEWS17/Planning-Commission-approves-preliminary-Newark-High-School-plan
March 28, 201015 yr McClain pursues downtown vision BY KENT MALLETT • Advocate Reporter • March 28, 2010 NEWARK -- Visitors entering downtown Newark using the new Ohio 16 exit ramp should see appealing developments and landscaping, then an attractive streetscape all the way to The Works museum. That's part of the vision of developer Jerry McClain, who also suggests roundabouts on the Licking County Courthouse Square and a restoration and redevelopment of northwest Park Place buildings. McClain, who spent $3 million to buy 14 properties and demolish old, dilapidated buildings along Locust Street, wants to finally accomplish many of the downtown objectives discussed in meetings for more than 20 years. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100328/NEWS01/3280311
April 3, 201015 yr Mayor: Some McClain ideas are under way BY CRAIG MCDONALD • Managing Editor • April 2, 2010 NEWARK -- On March 25, developer Jerry McClain called together about 50 influential people from the city's private and public sectors at The Works to discuss an ambitious vision for the redevelopment of downtown Newark. McClain's stated fear was that like many meetings before, everyone would disperse and nothing would come from the gathering. Earlier this week, Mayor Bob Diebold told The Advocate that McClain's message had been clearly received by the city. He noted some aspects of McClain's proposed plan for a downtown renaissance already have generated constructive discussion; other elements are already being pursued, the mayor said. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100402/NEWS01/4020307/-1/NEWS17/Diebold-praises-developer-for-energizing-city-leaders-with-recent-meeting
April 3, 201015 yr City explores grant for downtown loft housing BY AMY HOLLON • Advocate Reporter • April 2, 2010 NEWARK -- Ideas to revitalize Newark's downtown have been varied over the years, but one of the reoccurring themes has been the desire to convert the second and third floors of downtown buildings into residential apartments or condominiums. It is an idea that recently was revived by developer Jerry McClain as part of his revitalization plans for the area. Now, Newark city officials hope they might be able to start the process in one vacant downtown building. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100402/NEWS01/4020309/-1/NEWS17/City-explores-grant-for-downtown-loft-housing
June 27, 201014 yr New development director: Newark poised for opportunity BY AMY HOLLON • Advocate Reporter • June 27, 2010 NEWARK -- With the Ohio 161/37 expressway recently completed and developer Jerry McClain making plans to rebuild a portion of Newark's downtown, Kim Burton thinks Newark is poised for opportunities. Her new role as the city's development director will be to bring two city departments together to take advantage of those opportunities and tackle the challenges Newark inevitably faces, with the combined resources. Read More: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100627/NEWS01/6270304/Newark-poised-for-opportunity Burton targets grant for bike connections and lanes, streetscape ADVOCATE STAFF REPORT • June 27, 2010 NEWARK -- As part of Newark Development Director Kim Burton's new duties, she will help the department pursue grants for various city projects. Burton already has her eye on a Tiger II grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. If Newark received the grant, the city could pay to build all bike lanes and connections between the East End of Newark and Granville. It would connect the two bike paths to each other and provide connections from one end of the city to the other. The grant also would help the city improve the streetscape the downtown Read More: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100627/NEWS01/6270303/Burton-targets-grant-for-bike-connections-and-lanes-streetscape
June 27, 201014 yr These are great signs for Newark. It has a much bigger downtown than people might expect, one that could hold a lot of urbanists in those upper stories. It offers proximity to Columbus along with better outdoor action than anything in Franklin County. Haven't been down 161 in a while... does it go all the way to 270 now as a freeway? If so, that's huge. Another oft overlooked advantage of Newark is that it has the 16 freeway going straight through it, rather than a bypass like most towns that size. The Newark-Granville-Heath area is very easy to get around in. Combine that with a short ride to Cbus and it's poised for a lot of growth.
June 27, 201014 yr ^SR 161/37/16 just opened to a four-lane limited access facility from I-270 to Newark and beyond (save for one intersection - Cherry Valley Road). Downtown Newark definitely has potential for an urban revitalization, but there is a debate as to whether the expanded SR 161 corridor will aid in that development. Time will tell....
July 8, 201014 yr McClain: Funding set for manager to 'ramrod' downtown vision BY L.B. WHYDE • Advocate Reporter • July 7, 2010 NEWARK -- Developer Jerry McClain, invited speaker of the Downtown Newark Association, told a Tuesday morning gathering about funding already committed for the needed next step in realizing a Newark renaissance. What's required, McClain told DNA members, is to hire a manager to "ramrod" the project and proceed with what McClain envisions as a four-phase project to give the downtown a new face. Already, $50,000 in private funding has been committed to hiring such a person, although McClain is looking for more. Along with $25,000 pledged from Park National Bank, McClain also committed $25,000. He hopes to raise about $200,000. "We need a manager to get some things done," McClain said. "The opportunity is in our paw. We need to take advantage of it to make Newark come back to life again." Read More: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100707/NEWS01/7070316/McClain-Funding-set-for-manager-to-ramrod-downtown-vision
August 16, 201014 yr What is Longaberger's future? Longaberger adapting to, surviving tough times BY KENT MALLETT • Advocate Reporter • August 16, 2010 NEWARK -- Tami Longaberger knows she's made mistakes running The Longaberger Co., but she vows the basketmaker will adapt to changing times and survive the recent recession. The company that founder Dave Longaberger started in 1973 with five weavers, barely avoided bankruptcy in the 1980s, enjoyed an explosion of growth in the 1990s and has lost 88 percent of its work force in the 2000s. It's been a difficult decade for the company that sells baskets that are handmade in America, a rarity these days. The decade started and ended with a recession that has taken a toll on most U.S. companies. Full story at: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100816/NEWS01/8150313/What-is-Longaberger-s-future-
August 24, 201014 yr Arcade owner wants to restore building BY KENT MALLETT AND AMY HOLLON • Advocate Reporters • August 23, 2010 NEWARK -- Not long after Deb Donley moved to Newark from Westerville, she spotted The Arcade through one of the downtown alleys and was immediately intrigued. Like many Newark residents, Donley found the historical architecture of the city's first enclosed shopping center compelling. But like others, Donley was disappointed to find it mostly empty. "I just drove by and could see through here and I thought, 'That's really cool,'" Donley said. "It is so neat. So, we walked through here, and there's nothing here. I can't imagine the rent being that much." And although many of the city's leaders have spent years reminiscing about regularly visiting The Arcade in their youth, other residents largely have forgotten the historic structure, defining Newark's downtown as the Licking County Courthouse Square. http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20100823/NEWS01/8220305/Arcade-owner-wants-to-restore-building
November 29, 201014 yr McClain gives peek into plans for multi-use development in Newark Written by KENT MALLETT Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- Construction could begin next year on the first building in developer Jerry McClain's plans to revitalize downtown Newark around the Ohio 16 interchange. McClain released a rendering of a proposed three-story building, adjacent pond, greenspace and walking trail on land surrounded by Ohio 16, Mount Vernon Road, Locust Street and Hudson Avenue. The stunning structure is Second Empire style, with red brick, limestone block, mansard roof, dormers, and a cupola bringing in natural light from atop the building. READ MORE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20101128/NEWS01/11280307/1002/McClain-gives-peek-into-plans-for-multi-use-development-in-Newark
December 5, 201014 yr Newark’s Midland Theatre gets state cash Business First Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 9:03am EST The operators of the renovated Midland Theatre in Newark are getting some help from the state as they make continued improvements to the 82-year-old landmark. The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission recently approved a $300,000 grant to the Newark Midland Theatre Association Inc. The group wants to make several improvements to the performance center and concert hall, including adding a dressing room shower and box office and board room renovations and roof improvements. The additions come a decade after the Midland opened to the public following an eight-year, $8.5 million restoration and, for decades before that, closed doors. Longaberger Co. and late founder Dave Longaberger bought the theater in 1992, 14 years after it closed, and began the restoration. Longaberger later turned the theater over to the nonprofit association. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2010/11/24/newarks-midland-theatre-gets-state-cash.html
March 31, 201114 yr Newark mayor proposes solar field, downtown bike path Goals are 'green' energy for city, attracting high-tech jobs Wednesday, March 23, 2011 By Josh Jarman, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH NEWARK, Ohio - Mayor Bob Diebold unveiled a citywide initiative yesterday aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles for Newark residents while also attracting businesses and promoting renewable energy. Diebold said his Healthy Green and Growing campaign would help the city meet many of its challenges. Among them: an older population, increased energy costs, limited natural resources, obesity and other health problems, and an aging city infrastructure. He said the city will create a bike path through downtown that will connect paths on the western and eastern sides of Licking County. Diebold plans to turn the site of a former manufacturing facility on the city's east side into a large solar-collection field. He said the field will help break the city's dependence on electricity derived from fossil fuels and will attract environmentally conscious businesses that could provide high-tech jobs in the future. READ MORE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/03/23/copy/newark-mayor-proposes-solar-field-downtown-bike-path.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
March 31, 201114 yr More about the solar project mentioned by Newark's mayor in the previous article: Solar project excites Newark Collector field promoted as big boost to city Sunday, March 27, 2011 By Josh Jarman, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH NEWARK, Ohio - The city has been here before. Poised on the edge of big dreams, Newark has long sought a knockout development that would put it back on the map as a business leader in central Ohio. While other developments, such as a large ethanol-refining plant and a rumored training facility for the Columbus Crew, never came to pass, city leaders think they have a lot to feel good about in a proposed solar-collector field on the eastern edge of the city. Announced last week as part of Mayor Bob Diebold's initiatives to bring the city into the future, the mayor and his staff expect to sign a purchase agreement this year with an alternative-energy developer to make the project a reality. The project, which will feature a 24- to 40-acre array of solar-power collectors, would be built on an old manufacturing site that left behind a barren landscape of soil shot through with heavy metals and other pollutants. READ MORE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/03/27/copy/solar-project-excites-newark.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
August 1, 201113 yr I came across a report on the possible restoration of downtown Newark's Louis Sullivan bank building from (of all places) a Chicago Tribune architecture blog. A visit to Louis Sullivan's jewel-box bank in Newark, Ohio--is its restoration ongoing or stopped? Louis Sullivan's jewel-box banks, which brighten small-town cityscapes throughout the Midwest, continue to fascinate architecture buffs, although the news about them is not always goood. Here is a report from Cityscapes reader Arthur Simon, a Chicago M.D., about Sullivan's Home Building Association bank in Newark, Ohio. It's followed by a comment from Chicago's cultural historian (and Sullivan expert) Tim Samuelson, who had visted the building about a year ago. And some photos from the posting: Complete post at http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2009/11/a-visit-to-louis-sullivans-jewelbox-bank-in-newark-ohio-.html?obref=obinsite and http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2009/11/more-looks-at-louis-sullivans-newark-ohio-bank-.html Some very good news about the Historic Sullivan Bank Building in Downtown Newark. From last week's Ohio Department of Development press release on awards from the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program: "The Old Home Bank Building, designed by noted American architect Louis Sullivan, will receive a $431,260 credit to help pay for a $2.2 million rehab project. The 97-year-old building on Newark’s Courthouse Square will be used for offices and retail space."
August 11, 201113 yr More about the state historic preservation tax credit award given to the owners of The Old Home Bank Building (aka The Sullivan Bank) in downtown Newark from the Newark Advocate: Historic building in Newark gets preservation tax credit July 30, 2011 Newark Advocate staff report NEWARK -- The Old Home Bank Building in downtown Newark is one of several Ohio historic landmarks to have earned a preservation tax credit from the Ohio Department of Development. The building was designed by noted architect Louis Sullivan, who originally conceived the structure, located at 1 N. Third St., as a bank in 1914. The building's current owner, Stephen Jones, said, "We are very pleased to win a state historic tax credit award. This represents a big step forward in our plans to restore Louis Sullivan's Old Home Bank Building. We appreciate the efforts to date of Heather Rudge, our Cleveland-based historic preservation consultant, and Robertson Construction." READ MORE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011107300302
April 12, 201213 yr Longaberger-sold Newark hotel to get $4.5M upgrade by Paul Kite Co. By Brian R. Ball, Business First staff reporter Date: Friday, March 30, 2012, 6:00am EDT An Indianapolis real estate company hopes to reposition the Place Off the Square in Newark this summer after a $4.5 million renovation of the 118-room hotel. Newark Hospitality LLC, an affiliate of Paul Kite Co., expects to begin a complete overhaul of the property next month. It paid $1.4 million on March 1 to Longaberger Co., the basket-making operation that had owned the 50 N. Second St. property since 1997. The hotel opened in the 1970s as a full-service Sheraton. Kite expects to reopen the renamed Newark Metropolitan Hotel in late June. The company had considered redeveloping Newark’s Gateway project at 4th Street with a 200-room hotel and restaurants before the nearby Place Off the Square caught its attention. “We decided the market wasn’t deep enough for both hotels,” Kite CFO Martin Shrader said. “In this economy, that would have been too aggressive.” Renovations for the Newark Metropolitan call for glass curtain walls on the east and west sides and an overhaul of a restaurant that closed years ago. “We’re getting rid of all the (furniture, fixtures and equipment) so we can do a complete remodel,” Shrader said. “We bought (the property) as a shell.” MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/03/30/longaberger-sold-newark-hotel-to-get.html
April 12, 201213 yr More about Longaberger's sale of the Place Off the Square in Newark: Longaberger completes sale of hotel
April 18, 201213 yr Oh yeah. I stayed there once and it was just very much dated. Good to see it receiving a new exterior facelift!
December 12, 201212 yr One hospital in Newark (Licking Memorial) buys another hospital in Newark (Medical Center of Newark) that's only one mile away on Main Street. The short-term plan would convert the bought hospital into an outpatient facility. More from the two non-subscription-required articles from Business First below: Licking Memorial to buy doctor-owned Medical Center of Newark Licking Memorial to convert Medical Center of Newark to outpatient use at first
December 30, 201212 yr Licking Memorial closes on $26M purchase of Medical Center of Newark, ending about 100 jobs Business First by Carrie Ghose, Staff reporter Date: Friday, December 28, 2012, 1:26pm EST About 100 jobs will end now that Licking Memorial Health Systems has completed its $26 million purchase of the Medical Center of Newark and revealed more details about its plans for the facility. The health-care businesses Friday closed the sale of Central Ohio’s only physician-owned hospital, which was converted from an outpatient surgery center in a 2007 expansion. READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2012/12/28/licking-memorial-closes-on-26m.html
December 23, 201311 yr Six projects in Central Ohio were awarded state historic preservation tax credits on Friday. The full news release from the Ohio Development Services Agency is at http://development.ohio.gov/files/media/pressrelease/12.20.13%20-%20Release%20-%20Ten%20Ohio%20Communities%20will%20benefit%20from%20the%20Restoration%20of%20Historic%20Buildings.pdf --- Below is the tax credit award notice for the renovation of a three-story building in downtown Newark. 36-38 South Third (Newark, Licking County) - Total Project Cost: $789,695 - Total Tax Credit: $121,425 The three-story Victorian commercial block at 36-38 South Third Street in downtown Newark has housed dozens of businesses, from groceries to china shops. Today the building is only partially occupied by Argyle Photography. Rehabilitation plans include creating four market-rate apartment units and improving the commercial spaces in the building.
December 26, 201311 yr 36-38 South Third (Newark, Licking County) - Total Project Cost: $789,695 - Total Tax Credit: $121,425 The three-story Victorian commercial block at 36-38 South Third Street in downtown Newark has housed dozens of businesses, from groceries to china shops. Today the building is only partially occupied by Argyle Photography. Rehabilitation plans include creating four market-rate apartment units and improving the commercial spaces in the building. More about the Newark building recently awarded a state historic tax credit to aid its renovation. The three-story building is within a commercial block located immediately south of the Licking County Courthouse in downtown Newark. The building at 36-38 South Third Street looks like it is the last building in this block yet to be renovated on the upper floors. Below is a Google streetview image of the building taken in April 2012.
December 30, 201311 yr A change of ownership to the Louis Sullivan designed Old Home Bank Building in downtown Newark - previously updated here in this thread. The previous owner has donated the historic building to the non-profit Licking County Foundation. More from the Columbus Dispatch below: Old Home building gets a new life By Eric Lyttle, The Columbus Dispatch Saturday, December 28, 2013 - 9:48 AM NEWARK, Ohio — The Old Home was given a new beginning this week, as one of central Ohio’s most-iconic buildings architecturally was donated to the Licking County Foundation. The building, designed in 1914 at the end of the career of Louis Sullivan — the architect credited as being Frank Lloyd Wright’s mentor — has not enjoyed the status of its pedigree in recent years. It was purchased for $225,000 in 2007 by a Newark native who had hoped to restore it to its former glory, but work progressed slowly and the eye-catching building largely sat empty for the past six years. Late last year, owner Stephen Jones, who now works in commercial real estate in New York, put the Old Home on the market. But at an asking price of $750,000, he had no takers. He contacted the foundation in the fall and asked if it would be interested in taking the building as a donation. “His only interest was that we continue his efforts to restore his building,” said Michael Cantlin, chairman of the foundation’s governing committee. Jones and the foundation closed on the transfer on Monday. (. . .) Foundation Director Connie Hawk said restoring the Old Home as a community project, organizing a coalition of civic leaders to help fund the project and determining its end use fit nicely with the foundation’s mission. “It’s the right time for downtown Newark,” she said. “There’s a lot of synergy, with a streetscape project that will transform the downtown ... and the creation of downtown residential loft spaces. It’s a very exciting time, and we want to be a part of that revitalization.” MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/12/28/old-home-building-gets-a-new-life.html
December 30, 201311 yr More about the donation of the Old Home Bank Building to the Licking County Foundation from the Newark Advocate: Newark Advocate: Noted Sullivan building donated to Licking County Foundation
January 29, 201411 yr Catching up on the renovation of the former Place Off the Square hotel in downtown Newark - previously posted here. The hotel was sold by the Longaberger Company to another company in 2012. The new company, Newark Hospitality LLC, completed a $4.5 million renovation of the 118-room hotel and reopened it as the Newark Metropolitan Hotel. Below are some photos of the renovation from the hotel's facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Newark-Metropolitan-Hotel/332108776838785?sk=photos_stream The hotel's previous exterior was refaced with a new glass curtain wall. First a frame was installed. Then the new glass curtain wall was installed. After the new curtain wall was installed and new entrance canopy was built. View of the new hotel exterior from the street. Closer view of the canopy and hotel exterior at night.
May 27, 201411 yr Open-air market announced for downtown Newark Written by Advocate staff report NEWARK — The vision former Evans Foundation Chairman Gib Reese had for the south side of downtown becomes reality in two years in the form of the Canal Market District. The centerpiece of the district will be the Canal Market Plaza, three separate structures forming an open-air market on what is now a gravel parking lot bordered by Canal, Market, Second and Third streets. http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20140527/NEWS01/305270010/Open-air-market-announced-downtown-Newark
September 2, 201410 yr Report from NBC4 about renovation of several buildings in Downtown Newark: http://www.nbc4i.com/story/26416607/newark-changing-its-downtown
May 18, 201510 yr Rogers Krajnak to evaluate Newark's Sullivan-designed 'jewel box' for redevelopment The Old Home Bank Building on Newark’s courthouse square will get another look for redevelopment this summer. The Licking County Foundation has commissioned Columbus-based Rogers Krajnak Architects to give the 100-year-old, bejeweled building a close look after a private development effort fell through a couple years ago. The property is one of two “jewel box” community banks in Ohio, and eight in the Midwest, designed by noted American architect Louis Sullivan. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2015/05/rogers-krajnak-to-evaluate-newarks-sullivan.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 4, 201510 yr Downtown Newark In The Midst Of Revitalization Project NEWARK, Ohio - It was the best way to pay it forward. “I think it’s a great way to reinvest in the place that I’ve grown up in,” Liz Argyle said. For 10 years, Argyle has owned her business, Argyle Photography, in downtown Newark. An area that now is seeing some changes. READ MORE: http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2015/05/21/newark-ohio-downtown-newark-in-the-midst-of-revitalization-project.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 5, 201510 yr Newark has an fascinating mix of a dynamic mayor; a hands-on, focused local foundation; and a lot of ambitious younger people returning to and investing in their hometown.
June 6, 201510 yr ^Wish ALL Ohio cities had that. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 6, 20159 yr Renovations planned for Newark courthouse, which gets historical marker By Eric Lyttle, The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, July 2, 2015 - 9:35 PM Licking County celebrated its past and its future in a dedication ceremony on the courthouse square Thursday morning. The ceremony included the unveiling of an Ohio historical marker granted by the Ohio History Connection to honor the ornate, 139-year-old courthouse located in the center of Newark. Commissioners also took the occasion to announce $4 million in courthouse renovations. The project, most of which will take place in 2016, will include a new roof; restoration of the sandstone and limestone exterior; replacement of the nearly 100 windows; work on the dome, including a new skylight; and installation of a new elevator. The project is expected to take two years. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/07/02/historical-marker-at-newark-courthouse.html
December 16, 20159 yr Improving neighborhoods key to Newark's development By Kent Mallett, Reporter - Newark Advocate October 3, 2015 - 5:47 p.m. EDT The Licking County economy has made great improvements since the depths of the Great Recession six years ago, but for many Newark residents, little has changed and the struggle continues. The county seat, like most urban centers, has neighborhoods marked by poverty, aging housing stock and property maintenance issues frequently involving rental units. MORE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/2015/10/03/newark-neighborhoods-housing-economy/73079690/
December 16, 20159 yr Rebuilding sewers and streets around historic Licking County Courthouse offers glimpses of the past By Jennifer Smola, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, November 16, 2015 - 5:29 AM Signs of the past are easy to spot in Newark. From the historic Licking County jail built in the late 1800s, to the nearly 140-year-old courthouse in the square, to the restored Lock No. 9 from the Ohio and Erie Canal, history is scattered around town. And thanks to a major utility and street-construction project in downtown Newark, it’s become clear that history is scattered below town, too. The nearly $20 million project is needed to separate utility lines under the streets around the square. ... The existing streets are being shut down and torn up in segments. After the old sewers are renewed, new storm and sanitary sewer main lines are installed, along with catch basins and water-main lines. Electricity lines also are being buried. The first segment of the project began in March on S. 2nd Street, south of the square. Work then moved into the southeastern corner of the square for the second phase, where S. Park Place meets S. 2nd Street. Phase two is expected to reopen during the week of Thanksgiving, allowing the entire square to be open in time for the annual courthouse lighting ceremony on Nov. 27, and construction then will shift to Main Street, east of the square. Crews will continue working in phases, with the last of the work on the north side of the square expected to be completed in November 2017. The current triangular traffic islands at the corners of the square will be replaced with roundabouts, clearing the path for a two-way traffic pattern. Sidewalks will be widened and energy-efficient lighting will be installed. Landscaping also will be added, including bioswales that use soil and plants to help filter and absorb water before it enters the catch basins. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/11/16/uncovering-history.html
December 16, 20159 yr More from the Newark Advocate about the new roundabout that finished construction next to the courthouse square on November 25. More photos of the finished roundabout at the link below: Newark opens first roundabout in downtown project
December 17, 20159 yr The Brunswick Club building at 23 S. 3rd Street in downtown Newark received state historic tax credits: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/12/16/drexel-theatre-microapartments-among-5-projects.html Brunswick Club (Newark) - Project cost: $300,000 - Tax credit: $58,500 - Address: 26 S. 3rd Street Built as a billiards club in the 1880s, the Brunswick Club will be rehabilitated for commercial and residential use. August 2015 Google Streetview of 26 S. 3rd Street
December 17, 20159 yr More about the Brunswick Club renovation and additional photos at http://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/2015/12/16/brunswick-building-renovated/77429644/
February 25, 20169 yr Downtown Newark In The Midst Of Revitalization Project READ MORE: http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2015/05/21/newark-ohio-downtown-newark-in-the-midst-of-revitalization-project.html Update on the progress of the Canal Market Plaza construction in downtown Newark: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/2015/11/12/canal-market-district-taking-shape-off-square/75477604/ http://www.newarkadvocate.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2015/11/09/canal-market-under-construction/75481874/
February 25, 20169 yr Newark farmers market nearing completion By Jennifer Smola, The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday, February 9, 2016 - 6:34 AM NEWARK, Ohio — Anticipation is building in Licking County for spring, when the first farmers market in the new Canal Market District will open for business. Construction of the open-air market pavilion between Canal and Market streets in downtown Newark is nearly complete. Before long, organizers hope, it will be full of vendors and shoppers. ... The first farmers market is still months away, but vendors of all kinds have been quick to get in line. ( . . . ) The $5 million Canal Market District project includes utility upgrades, updates to the county parking garage, construction of the market pavilion, public restrooms and a walkway that runs through the market area to connect the downtown square to the former train depot. Work on the parking garage, restrooms and walkway is mostly complete, and thanks to a mild winter, crews are on track to finish the pavilion by the end of the month. The project will be dedicated May 27, with the first market held June 3. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/02/09/newark-market-nearing-completion.html
February 27, 20169 yr Would anyone like to buy a 7-story picnic basket? Constructed on the edge of town, the now-former Longaberger HQ has yet to cover its own public infrastructure costs. Bidding starts at $600k! http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2016/02/26/longaberger-is-moving-out.html
February 27, 20169 yr More about Longaberger's move from Business First: Want to work in a basket? Longaberger vacating iconic headquarters By Evan Weese, Staff Reporter - Columbus Business First Updated: February 26, 2016, 5:06pm EST One of the more bizarre office buildings in Central Ohio - or perhaps nationwide - is in need of a tenant. Longaberger Co. will vacate its iconic basket-shaped headquarters at 1500 E. Main St. in Newark, leaving the seven-story, 180,000-square-foot building completely vacant. ( . . . ) Longaberger employees will be consolidating in a building on the company's manufacturing and distribution campus in Frazeysburg. The company maintains ownership of the iconic headquarters it built in 1996. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/02/26/want-to-work-in-a-basket-longaberger-vacating.html
February 27, 20169 yr It really is amazing just how much the basket building really does look like a basket! After Longaberger built it, I've always wondered what would happen to the basket building if they ever moved out. Now we'll find out! The Dispatch article contained this poll for readers to decide their preferred new tenant: Dispatch Poll: What would you like to see done with the Longaberger Basket Building? • Apartments • Museum • Hotel • Homeless shelter • Easter Bunny's house As of this morning, hotel was leading over apartments, homeless shelter, museum and easter bunny's house.
February 28, 20169 yr Yeah, turn it into a boutique hotel. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
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