A downtown historic Lima building is getting a new tenant.
A new business will open soon in the Metropolitan Block building.
For Jason Bowers his dream of owning a boutique in downtown Lima is about to come true.
He and his wife are owners of Pears Avenue in the Metropolitan Block building across from the Allen County Courthouse. "Our products range from mid-century vintage items, home decor, furniture, things of that nature as well as original pieces of artwork, limited edition artwork, as well as hand made goods such as handbags, jewelry and also we have a collection of re-purposed and refinished furniture" said Bowers.
Robert Nelson is the principal owner of Met Place Properties and Lima Meaningful Development LLC.
The organization has received a two million dollar Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit to renovate the Metropolitan Block building . "Phase one, which what we're working on now, is to get the retail establishments kind of inline. We've got Nitza's. We have Pears Avenue, Modo Media...Twisted Cork, which is the wine bar and wine shop which should be open in the fourth quarter, and we have Ohio Northern which has been here over a decade" according to Nelson.
Nelson believes in this project so much he believes it can be replicated throughout the downtown. "Yes this model can be replicated in almost every single building you see up and down main street here. What is that model? Again mixed use, commercial and retail on the first floor. What that does, it creates density. Many people remember downtown back in its heyday there were people walking up and down the street at all hours of the day."
The upper floors in the former Stippich Hardware building still need a lot of work before other tenants can move in.
Bowers says he's excited about the opportunity to grow his business in the downtown. "We believe in repurposing items when possible, and this building really fits that concept because it's about this whole project, the Met Block is rejuvenating an old building, an historic building that has a lot of character and to be in this space we feel is a real blessing and really fits our store concept."
Pears Avenue is expected to open later this month.
The metropolitan block building was built in 1890 during Lima's petroleum boom and is historically significant as an example of Romanesque Revival architecture.
