OTTAWA, OH Three local businessmen believe in their hometown so much, they’re embarking on an incredible development project to restore 13,000 Sf of a historic building on Main Street. Matt Schmenk, Zach Buckland and Josh Buckland announced they are purchasing the west portion of the Heringhaus Furniture building at 214 E. Main St., Ottawa, and will redevelop it into mixed use space for retail stores and professional office suites. Interior demolition will begin in May and completion of the restoration project is expected in late 2025.
The project has been in the works for about 8 months with owner Jim Heringhaus who will retain ownership of the east building and continue operating Heringhaus Furniture store. Heringhaus, along with his brothers Gus and Bernie, purchased the building in 1975. Recounting some of the history of the building, he said Ottawa Business College, a hardware and an electrical store were all once located there. “The guys have big plans for the building, I know they’re going to take good care of it,” Heringhaus said.
Plans include full interior and exterior restoration of the building, including restoring brick masonry, doors, and putting windows back into the second story of the building. Schmenk and both of the Buckland’s have lived in Ottawa their entire lives and said they’re excited to be part of a growth era that the community and surrounding small towns are experiencing.
Project partners to date include architects/designers at Brick Street Studio, and the Putnam County CIC economic development office.
