CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A historic building near the western entrance to Chillicothe’s Downtown Historic District is set to become a home for new businesses, backed by a $32,000 award announced this week, the Chillicothe Gazette reports.
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 supports Project “District West” at 83-85 W. Main Street in Chillicothe.
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 announcement cited by the Gazette. The finished space could support 10 new jobs in the area.
Pinnacle Realty Advisors and Broker One Realty are expected to be the initial tenants, the Gazette reports. Business incubator support for the startups and small firms that follow will be provided by the Ohio State University Small Business Development Center, according to the announcement.
Incubators trade below-market, flexible space and shared services for a bet on young companies — and District West puts that bet in a historic storefront rather than a new building on the edge of town, keeping the investment inside the downtown district the city has been working to fill.
The Small Business Development Center piece matters for what an incubator actually sells. Tenants at District West would not just rent desks: the Ohio State University Small Business Development Center will provide the business incubator support, according to the announcement — the advising and planning help that decides whether a young firm survives its first lease.
The project is expected to be completed in 2027, according to the Gazette. What happens next is the renovation itself: a complete build-out of 83-85 W. Main Street, with the first two firms signed on and incubator tenants to recruit as the work proceeds.