New company proposes project so crumbling Main Street buildings remain
August 13, 2019
A new company created with the intent to save a pair of crumbling buildings and their neighbor on Downtown Zanesville’s Main Street is asking for the community’s help in doing so.
For the past five years, the City has worked to find a solution for the now condemned buildings in the 600 block of Main Street, but the effort is nearing its end.
During a July meeting of the public safety committee, members moved to give citizens fighting to salvage the buildings, or at least their facades, three more months to find an answer. The City agreed to help.
Previously, council proposed allocating $900,000 to the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority, but those plans fell through due to lack of business or developer interest in the properties.
Now, Zanesville’s Nate Embrey is proposing a crowd-funding initiative to secure the buildings and bring new business to the area through his company, ZDT REDUX, LLC.
Embrey said the group of business owners and artists advocating to save the buildings have made progress on plans but still needed an interested party to be willing to assume any risk associated with securing the structures.
On Tuesday, the company launched PROJECT: RE-MAIN — a two part fundraiser in which community members are first asked to express their interest in donating and later will be asked to act on their pledges.
“We are re-doing Main Street… and or, making those buildings remain there, said Embrey.
The goal is to raise $5 million.
“PROJECT: RE-MAIN is the beginnings of a plan that will become more and more robust in the coming days and weeks, and an effort to raise money from the community so that we can facilitate that rehabilitation project and kind of show up to the table with something to start conversations about the $900,000 and with contractors and other engineering groups to make it a viable, tangible thing,” said Embrey.
The company is partnering with the Muskingum County Community Foundation to collect and then distribute donations made throughout PROJECT: RE-MAIN as needed.
Embrey said the funds must first be allocated for securing the falling buildings on Main Street, then the funding can be used to develop existing buildings on the block before expanding to the rest of the street and Downtown area.
Plans ZDT REDUX, LLC has for the area include opening businesses such as restaurants and a coffee shop to increase foot traffic on Main Street and encourage patrons to visit neighboring businesses. More information about PROJECT:REMAIN can be found at www.theremainproject.com.
Paladin • Aug 26, 2019 at 3:06 pm
I was on the REMAIN website and read about the proposals for businesses in those buildings:
• 1 THIRD WAVE COFFEE SHOP
• 1 COLD PRESS JUICE BAR
• 2-3 TOP-TIER RESTAURANTS
• 1-2 COCKTAIL BARS or PUBS
• 8-12 INDUSTRIAL/LOFT APARTMENTS
• 1 BODEGA/CORNER STORE
While a worthwhile vision, keep in mind this is not New York City, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Miami, what have you. I maintain the demographics in this area is not suitable for upscale high-end establishments. There are only so many ‘Mover & Shaker Country Clubbers’ in Zanesville who are affluent enough to continually support places like this. Top-Tier? Cocktail bar? In Zanesville? Perhaps a high end Cameron Mitchell restaurant? Industrial apartments? I don’t think so. Plus, where are proposed clients and patrons supposed to park and be safe? Parking garage? With I-70 cutting the town in two, the North End has been allowed to build up to be a traffic jam with overabundance of basically cookie cutter chain eating establishments. With that, the downtown integrity basically died. While Cambridge realized it’s predicament and remained proactive, Zanesville did not and let it get down too far. Everyone who owns property downtown are only in it for “what’s in it for me?”, not ” how can we help?”
I agree with “Bob Bob”, tear down, make a green area, a nice well lit park , a cool food truck area, something that everyone can afford to enjoy.
Bob Bob • Aug 15, 2019 at 1:03 pm
Sometimes historic buildings can’t be saved. This is a good example where saving buildings downtown isn’t financially feasible, since the value of real estate downtown can’t support or justify a significant investment. A clean and green building lot downtown will always be more attractive to a business or developer than a crumbling building. As a city we need to move from the denial stage to the acceptance stage; acceptance that these buildings and the connecting buildings will be lost. How many store fronts are currently vacant downtown? Hopefully the wishful art community moves on to another project soon and allows the city to tear these dangerous buildings down.
Annie Warmke • Aug 14, 2019 at 12:23 pm
I hope there are people involved that haven’t been before because it seems like any potential progress for downtown is stepped on by the key decision makers. This is a great idea and I hope it happens. A coffee shop is the key to a vibrant downtown. We had one until it was literally shut down. Perhaps if there are more people investing and participating we can keep the progress moving forward.