An extensive renovation project is set to begin next month on a downtown building that just a few years ago was a candidate for demolition.

Renovations totaling $175,000 at the former Greensfelder building at 315 East Market Street include a new roof, strengthening and stabilizing of the west and south walls of the building, new upstairs windows and a refurbishment of the building’s front facade.

The project is supported by the building’s owner, Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, as well as Logan’s Landing and the city of Logansport.

Work will begin March 9 and will take roughly 90 days to complete.

“The building will be a red brick front with dark green windows and two store fronts,” said Todd Zeiger, director of the northern regional office of the landmarks foundation. ”It is a very traditional design.”

The foundation is putting up funds for the project, along with a grant from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s Real Estate Capital Access Program.

The RECAP initiative is a joint program between the IHCDA, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs and the Indiana Office of Tourism to promote development in main streets throughout rural Indiana.

Logansport was selected along with Wabash and Vevay as part of the project’s pilot program in 2007. The Greensfelder building, though, is the first project in either city to begin construction.

“Logansport is the most together on their projects out of all of the cities selected in the first round,” said Amber Seidler, IHCDA’s director of communications and media.

Zeiger said that about $100,000 of the renovation costs would be paid by the foundation with the rest from the RECAP grant. He added that since owning the building, the foundation already had invested about twice that amount in the structure.

“We don’t like to have another empty lot in downtown,” Zeiger said. “We want to promote what Logan’s Landing is doing to preserve, renovate and remodel downtown. To tear this building down would be against everything that is going on.”

The building is also eligible for $10,000 in funds from the city’s corridor improvement program, which is intended for beautification of storefronts on main routes into the city.

Zeiger confirmed that while funds from the eventual sale of the building would not meet the money invested, the cash would be split between Logan’s Landing and the landmarks foundation to reinvest in other downtown renovation projects.

“We have an agreement to put back in what we recoup from the building,” he said.

The announcement that construction will go ahead marks the end of a difficult period for the building.

Previous owner Judy Rolewicz donated the building to the landmarks foundation in 2003 after the east wall collapsed and the structure was placed on the city’s condemned list for demolition.

Despite stabilization work, including a rebuild of the collapsed wall, efforts to sell the building to an investor have failed.

Logansport Deputy Mayor Linda Klinck said the building’s problems were heightened with a partial demolition for a used car lot.

“Originally there were three bays, but they tore down a third of the building,” Klinck said. “What is left is an interior wall and this is what has caused a lot of the problems.”

She said that work on the structure would include filling in the holes of the wall to increase stability.

To mark the beginning of construction, Logan’s Landing will stage a “kick-off” ceremony that is open to the public at 10 a.m. March 5.

Representatives from HLFI, IHCPA and the city of Logansport will be present to show support for the project.

Zeiger said that the ceremony is intended to mark a new start for the structure, which will no longer be known as the Greensfelder building but by its address, 315 E. Market.

“It is kind of a project groundbreaking,” Zeiger said. “It is not a new building, but the idea is to take down the old Greensfelder signage which is in the storefront to save that as part of the kick off.”

He added that he was optimistic the event would be a double celebration.

Kelly and Teri Hawes, owners of a property at 218 Eel River Ave., will learn today whether their application for RECAP funds for an antiques business is successful .

“If approved, it will go forward at about the same time,” Zeiger said.

Zeiger said that the foundation had not marketed the building yet to potential investors but is optimistic that once the building was completed investors would come forward.

“The condition of the building does not really lend itself to sharing at this time,” he said.

Klinck said that depending on the plans of the eventual users of the store fronts, the second floor of the building could easily be converted into a residential area.

“The long-range plan is for upstart apartments,” she said. “We do not have any interested users yet, but the layout is perfect for two one-bedroom apartments.”

Kevin Smith can be contacted at (574) 732-5148 or via e-mail at kevin.smith@pharostribune.com



Want to go?

What: Kick-off ceremony to mark the beginning of a project to save a downtown landmark.

When: 10 a.m. March 5.

Where: The former Greensfelder Building, 315 E. Market St.