CHILLICOTHE — A $32,000 award will help turn a historic downtown Chillicothe building into business incubator space that could support 10 new jobs, the Chillicothe Gazette reported.
The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio announced the award from Mission Conversion Services Alliance to local developer Kevin Winegardner, according to a community announcement reported by the Chillicothe Gazette. The money will support Project “District West” at 83-85 W. Main St., near the western entrance to Chillicothe’s Downtown Historic District, the Gazette reported.
The project calls for a complete renovation of the building, with plans for business incubator offices, a shared conference room, restrooms and off-street parking, according to the Chillicothe Gazette. The renovated building is intended to give entrepreneurs office space and services in a shared environment. “The project allows tenants to focus on growing their business and not all the other obligations typically associated with renting a traditional office,” Winegardner said, according to the Chillicothe Gazette.
Local development leaders say the space fills a gap. “Chillicothe lacks incubator space and co-working environments,” Tammy Eallonardo, director of Greater Chillicothe & Ross County Development, told the Chillicothe Gazette. “This project provides incubator space and services for entrepreneurs, while maintaining the original aesthetic of an important structure built in 1846. It’s a great complement to our Downtown District.”
Pinnacle Realty Advisors and Broker One Realty are expected to be the initial tenants, and business incubator support will be provided by the Ohio State University Small Business Development Center, according to the Chillicothe Gazette.
The project is expected to be completed in 2027 and could create 10 jobs in the area, the Chillicothe Gazette reported.
What happens next is the renovation itself: work on the 1846 building at 83-85 W. Main St. proceeds toward a 2027 completion, with the Small Business Development Center’s support in place for the entrepreneurs who will fill the incubator’s first offices.