The historic downtown Chillicothe building has been idle since a 2003 arson fire
The "major announcement" as promised by city officials concerning the Carlisle and Howson Buildings" lived up to the expectation.
Adena Health System is joining with the City of Chillicothe and other key stakeholders to rehabilitate the downtown buildings, gutted by an arson fire in 2003.
Adena has pledged to lease 13,000 square feet of space inside the Carlisle Building, once renovation has been completed. Mike Chesler of the Chesler Group, is serving as the group organizing financing, construction company and facilitator of the effort. Chesler says they are currently seeking financing for the two-three year project, which he estimates could cost between $6 million to $8 million.
Adena CEO Mark Shuter says the hospital envisions moving some of their services, not essential to being on the actual hospital campus, to the Carlisle. Some of that would be retail sales, along with other private retail business on the first floor and also leasing office space on the second floor and possibly some of the residential space on the fourth floor, which could be used by nursing students and physicians on rotations at the local hospital.
Shuter was quoted saying "Being involved with the rehabilitation of the Carlisle will help to meet Adena's current space needs, while giving new life to a piece of our community's history. By moving some of our office operations there, we will be able to open more clinical space at the Medical Center, and return that space to its original purpose- caring for our patients".
Shuter mentioned that this summer marks the 117th anniversary of the Adena Hospital in Chillicothe, which was one of the reasons the hospital board wanted to "pay-back" with a major development effort in the downtown.
Other portions of the Carlisle Building will be available for retail space, offices and residential units. Findings from the feasibility study are expected to be presented to Chillicothe City Council within 60 days.
Mayor Jack Everson says the city would be leasing the third floor for their office space.
He added that "aside from this effort", the city would be welcoming the Ohio State University Architectural Class, which is adopting the downtown redevelopment efforts as their "class project" for 2012-13, helping the city with what would be some free services.
This downtown revitalization would include not only the development of Carlisle/Howson, but also bringing in new restaurants to go along with existing businesses, that could turn the downtown into a "night spot"- much like that can be seen in Granville or German Village.
Mayor Everson said they would change downtown parking to "angle parking" down South Paint Street to Fifth Street and open up "new spaces" for parking for employees that would be working inside the Carlisle. He said this can also be accomplished by tearing down the back-third of the non historic section of the current municipal court, once they move to their new court building, and take over the corner lot.
They would also need to look at long-range plans that include asking downtown building owners to take-down "shanties" behind their buildings to make room for more parking.
Mayor Jack Everson...
Mark Shuter...
Mike Chesler...
