Ohio Building reimagined: Woodard Development converts historic location into apartments
SIDNEY — Once home to the offices of doctors, lawyers and a mix of businesses and restaurants — and at one point even a bowling alley — the Ohio Building’s decline as a vibrant five-story office hub began when the local investors who owned the landmark decided to sell it at auction Aug. 21, 2006.
Purchased by an out-of-state investor, the building soon began losing tenants as leases expired, rents rose, maintenance issues went unaddressed and a host of other factors made the once-iconic address less desirable.
The end came in December 2010, when the city learned that DPL Energy would turn off the building’s power for nonpayment. The city requested a brief grace period, which allowed water and gas service to be shut off in an orderly manner and gave the last remaining tenants time to move out.
For some years, the building stood vacant while ownership remained mired in legal maneuvering. In 2011, water intrusion had deteriorated the mortar between bricks on the façade, causing some to fall to the sidewalk. City Council voted to fund emergency masonry work to stabilize the structure and protect pedestrians below. In November 2020, City Council authorized funds to replace the roof.
“Not all councilmembers thought investing money in the building was a good use of tax dollars,” Sidney Mayor Mike Barhorst recalled. “I argued that it was better to invest $200,000 in a new roof than to spend more than half a million to tear it down and have another ‘missing tooth’ in the streetscape.”
The city eventually took ownership after the building’s out-of-state owner was found guilty of bank fraud and incarcerated. The city held the property in hopes of finding a developer willing to tackle the project.
Fast-forward: Jason Woodard and his partners, Scott Laubie and Todd Duplain, saw the building as an opportunity to expand their footprint into the Sidney market. Over the past two years, the building has been transformed.
Representing an investment of approximately $11.2 million, the project was made possible with grants and tax credits, including $1.8 million in Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits, $998,562 in Transformational Mixed-Use Development credit and a 100% tax abatement.
“In a sense, the tax abatement was not a loss to anyone,” Barhorst said. “Not unlike the former Wagner Manufacturing property, real estate taxes on the property had remained unpaid for years. Returning the property to active use will also eventually return it to the tax rolls, and that is a win for everyone.”
The building was completely gutted, and the former office floors were re-created as 50 apartments that blend classic architecture with modern elegance. It was not an easy transformation. The leaking roof had caused the structure to sag. The rear portion had to be raised more than six inches, a process that was time-consuming and expensive.