The multi-million dollar project to revitalize downtown Van Wert is in full gear, and they recently got good news from the state to keep the progress moving forward.
The Van Wert Forward project has acquired over 50 properties that will be upgraded over the coming years. Last week, Governor Mike DeWine announced Historic Tax Credits for three new projects that will be part of phase two. The total cost of those projects is around $15 million dollars, and the state gave them $1.5 million in tax credit. Which is more than the $1.2 million in tax credits they got for phase one. But if you drive down Main Street, you can see the downtown start to transform right before your eyes.
“The first phase is rocking and rolling,” says Seth Baker, CEO of Van Wert County Foundation. “We got masonry going, stabilization both interior and exterior is going on. We got new walls going in, new plumbing, HVAC, electric, all as we speak.”
Baker says that phase one of the project could be ready for occupancy as early as January 2023.
