LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Working on the project since 2017 and using a grant from JobsOhio, the Central Business District has gone from abandoned buildings to a thriving business center.
.It was just a year ago that local officials were at the opening of the first floor, and as of March of next year, every space will be filled/
Governor Mike DeWine was in Lima to celebrate the accomplishment. It is now official as it relates to the Central Business District. It was just a year ago that local officials were at the opening of the first floor, and as of March of next year, every space will be filled with businesses, retail, or gathering spaces. The owners of the property made use of a grant from JobsOhio to partially pay for the project.
Governor DeWine talked about the importance of having a private-public partnership to make these kinds of re-developments happen. "It takes real vision at the local level and people who are willing to put some money into this, also people who are willing to step forward and create new businesses," said Gov. DeWine. "If you walk through here today and talk to the different businesses that are here, some of them didn't exist a year ago; now they exist, now it improves the quality of life. We depend in our communities on our downtowns. No matter whether we live downtown or where we live. Downtowns in communities like Lima are just essential to the quality of life of this whole part of Northwestern Ohio."
"There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel, and we're excited that we're fully open now," said Tracie Sanchez, a Central District partner. "This building, the HUB building, and the social house out back, so now it's just time to sit back, watch it flourish, and watch it grow."
Sanchez has one more building that she would like to see renovated next door. The hope is to start that project in a year or two.
