A long-vacant structure built more than 100 yrs ago that greets commuters as they enter the Hilltop from Franklinton could be on its way to starting to be a restaurant with a rooftop deck.
Felisha Lyons bought the parcel at 1945-1947 W. Wide St. in August for $76,500. In addition to the restaurant, she mentioned she hopes to have a social organization business either start off or increase its operation in the place, which is in disrepair.
“My hope is that it is really a social enterprise that basically reaches out to and supports youth,” Lyons explained. “That would be best.”
No enterprise has named the property residence for the previous fifty percent-century, in accordance to Lyons, but she claimed it has served many uses more than the decades, from sweet shop to sandwich store to florist to drug retailer.
There is also a duplex and carriage home in the rear, which Lyons plans to renovate into flats.
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Lyons’ proposal received help last week from the Greater Hilltop Area Commission, and the owner of ReVest Realty is looking for variances from the Columbus City Council for decreasing the number of necessary areas in a planned parking lot and extra. Most spaces in the parking ton would be reserved for tenants of the restored duplex and carriage home.
Lyons, executive director of susceptible youth for Columbus City Colleges, lives on the Close to East Facet and known as the Considerably West Aspect residence when she initial moved to Columbus from Ashtabula County in 1998. She claimed she’s passionate about preserving historical housing inventory.
“There are tales in this article. There are memories here,” Lyons reported, gesturing to the dugout-model creating in entrance of her on a the latest afternoon.
“This area was acknowledged, and I assume there is a lot of history that will get dropped,” she continued. “You occur in, make a little something new. It really is beautiful, shiny and pretty, but the stories usually are not there. The memories aren’t there.”
Franklin County Auditor’s business office records indicate the commercial developing at 1959 W. Wide St. was constructed in 1900, even though Lyons and nearby inhabitants imagine it is more mature. (The parcel range by 1929 experienced been improved to 1945 from 1959.)
Sanborn Fireplace Insurance policy maps show no structure on the residence in 1901. A newspaper advertisement from 1909 mentions a store.
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Dick Hoffman, board member of the Hilltop Historic Modern society, mentioned he is excited for what Lyon has prepared.
“Anything previous like that that can be restored would be excellent,” he reported.
Susan Keeny, preservation director at Columbus Landmarks who operates with householders through its Property Preservation Application, stated she is acquainted with Lyons and her venture.
“We are excited to do the job with her,” she claimed. “She’s taken fairly a exclusive house. It is really pretty a large amount to deal with, for confident.”
One particular of the things Columbus Landmarks is carrying out is operating with Lyons to see if at minimum the industrial developing — which Keeny claimed continues to be structurally sound — is qualified for the Countrywide Sign up of Historic Areas, encouraging it qualify for historic tax credits.
“We’re hoping to dig a tiny additional into the background to see no matter whether this is qualified,” she explained.
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Lyons mentioned she’s enthusiastic about what the long term holds for the home.
“What is below is attractive and really should be preserved as much as feasible,” she claimed.
This tale is component of the Dispatch’s Cellular Newsroom initiative. Visit our reporters at the Hilltop department library and read through their do the job at dispatch.com/mobilenewsroom, where you also can signal up for The Mobile Newsroom publication.
Dispatch librarian Julie Fulton and assistant metro editor Ryan E. Smith contributed to this report.
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