Historic Central Hotel Apartments reopens in Galion

GALION - After a year and a half and $5 million worth of construction, Galion's historic Central Hotel Apartments welcomed guests for an open house and grand re-opening Monday.

Originally built before the Civil War, the building at 10 Public Square has long been an anchor of Uptowne Galion, mayor Thomas O'Leary said. Thomas Edison once stayed at the hotel, and Alexander Graham Bell did telephone testing in the building, Ohio House Rep. Wesley Goodman R-87)  told attendees at Monday's event.

After structural problems forced an evacuation of the senior living apartments that have been housed in the building since 2005, O'Leary said, the future of the landmark building was uncertain.

"There was a very real possibility in early to mid 2015 that this was either going to be a vacant hole, a parking lot, or even worse, sort of a halfway dilapitated building," the mayor said.

But through a public-private partnership between Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, the City of Galion, Fairfield Homes, Ohio Housing Finance Agency, LEADS Community Action Agency and Community Action Partnership, $5 million in funding was raised to renovate the structure. The funding included about $1 million from the city, $1.5 million from investors and $2.5 million from Ohio Capital Corporation.

"In this day and age it's difficult to bring everybody together — the government, funding sources, syndicators, developers, construction companies — it's hard to bring everybody together to form a partnership to do something that is challenging and different. That is what has happened here in Galion with Central Hotel," said Ken Kempton, who spoke on behalf of LEADS.

O'Leary praised Ohio Capital Corporation for taking a crisis and turning it into a resource and an asset.

The construction project was especially challenging, requiring Ruscilli Construction Company to internally demolish and rebuild a portion of the building.

In addition to fixing the building's structural problems, the renovation included updates of all the building's community spaces as well as hallways and apartment units.

The apartment building contains 30 affordable housing units for seniors ages 55 and older. About 16 of the units are occupied, with another handful of future residents preparing to sign leases.

Resident Mary Linn moved back into the apartments in February.

"I love Galion and I love it here," Linn said. "It's so homey and it's just a safe place to be."

Linn said for residents, the apartments are nicer than ever.

"The way they did the apartments is really nice," she said. "Before, I lived in (apartment) 208 and there was an atrium outside the apartment. They took that out and extended the living room, to make that bigger, and then they put a laundry facility in each apartment that they redid too."

Linn said when the apartment manager called her to ask if she would like to come back to Central Hotel, she jumped at the chance.

"It's good to be home again," she said.

ceday@gannett.com

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