COLUMBUS, Ohio — The historic arcade building, a 44,000 square foot space in Downtown Newark, is coming back to life.
Set to open in February 2024, the building will be home to 19 apartments, shopping and retail spaces.
What’s remarkable about the project is that some of the money to help in the renovation came from 66 private donors who raised $9 million.
“That tells me they want us to restore this property," said Mayor Jeff Hall.
The building is unique because it’s Ohio's first glass roof arcade, one of only four that remain in the state. There were eight at one time.
The building opened in 1909.
With turns of shovels, the city welcomed a new opportunity to transform the iconic downtown structure.
It's welcomed news for long time Newark resident and business owner Greg Tracey
“Just seeing what they are going to do it, I can't express in words how cool this is going to be,” Tracey said.
Tracey moved his restaurant from Granville to Newark because he says he wanted to be home.
He said the city has done a great job renovating other old buildings and turning them into entertainment centers.
“It's electrifying,” he says.
Newark has never been known as a destination city, but things are beginning to change in part because of public and private partnerships to invest in downtown.
The $19 million project received $5.5 million in federal and state tax credits.
The hope is, with Intel moving less than 20 miles away, downtown Newark will offer more reasons for them and others to spend their money there and not somewhere else.
You can learn more about the arcade building here.