MANSFIELD — A renowned historic preservation consultant would like to build a $4 million downtown apartment building on the front lawn of the Richland County Administration Building.
The building proposed by Steve McQuillin & Associates would be an exterior replica of the 1871 county courthouse that was razed 50 years ago to provide lawn space for the current county building. A proposed public/private partnership could provide space for 27 apartments and 2,300 additional feet of retail, office and/or meeting space, McQuillin said.
McQuillin, joined by Jennifer Gerberick Kime, CEO of Downtown Mansfield, Inc., pitched the idea to Richland County commissioners on Tuesday morning. He said his proposed building would be smaller than the old courthouse, but maintain the same proportional lines.
“Richland County has the potential to be (a) trend-setter and achieve renown in the national architectural and preservation community if it could realize the magnificent vision that once graced the city’s downtown and make this new building a vibrant and active centerpiece to the community,” McQuillin said in his written proposal.
The trio of elected Republican officials — Tony Vero, Marilyn John and Darrell Banks — listened to the proposal and then assigned themselves homework before determining how to respond.
John will discuss the proposal with the county prosecutor’s office to determine if such a public/private partnership is legally possible and how/if it could be arranged. One possibility discussed is the creation of an organization like the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) in Shelby, which mixes public and private officials.
McQuillin discussed possible financial support or subsidies with which the county could assist, including tax abatements, low-interest loans, etc.
Vero will meet with representatives from the Mansfield Rising group, three of whom were in attendance Tuesday, to discuss how to pay for a feasibility study to determine the demand for the kind of downtown housing such a site would offer.
“There has been kind of a clamoring in downtown Mansfield for some high-end apartment living,” Vero told the Richland Source, agreeing with fellow commissioners that more than anecdotal evidence needs to be seen of the need before commissioners become involved in the project.
Banks seemed to be the most reluctant of the commissioners.
“I will not say I am a ‘no,’ but I am a long way from a ‘yes.’ There are a lot of questions that need to be answered,” Banks said.
McQuillin, a historic preservation consultant based in Hayesville, has more than 40 years of experience in the field. He was joined by Kime in approaching commissioners with the initial idea in May 2018. After initial discussions, McQuillin scaled down his proposal in size and cost.
Kime said the project could be a game-changer in terms of development, telling Richland Source she could not remember the last new housing development in the downtown.
“I am all for renovating upper floors (of existing) buildings, but this is exciting, too,” she said. “Steve has been working on this project for about 18 months. He is passionate about courthouses, historic preservation and development.”
The project would construct a new building at the southeast corner of Park Avenue East and Diamond Street, on the front lawn of the current county administration building.
It would be on the site of the historic 1871 county courthouse that recalls the lost landmark’s exterior, including its clock tower. Franklin Street would be widened to provide space for about 30 cars, plus nearby parking lots could be leased for additional space.
The ground floor would have apartments, retail and offices. The upper floors would be dramatic loft-type apartments, ranging from one to three-bedroom units.
“The primary goal in this project is to create vibrant new housing by utilizing the latest type of low-cost residential construction that permits buildings of five stories built from simple wood-frame construction, provided they have fire-resistant exteriors and are fully sprinklered,” McQuillen wrote in his proposal.
“This new code seems well suited to the historic form of the Richland County Courthouse, with its tall ceilings and grand windows,” he said.
These apartments would have windows facing onto the city’s Central Park and feature views in all directions. A central court with lobby and dramatic glass elevator would serve the apartments, with a theatre and lounge on the upper floors.
The clocktower would be detailed, with four commercial clock-faces, plus spaces and open-air balconies.
“The apartments would be convenient, attractively laid out, spacious, prestigious and would become a sought-after place to live, as shown by downtown revitalization in other Ohio cities,” McQuillin wrote in his proposal. “Importantly, this could become a catalyst for encouraging residential growth in downtown Mansfield and could reasonably be expected to encourage private investment in nearby buildings around the square and in Brickyards Commons, a few blocks from here.
“In a larger role, this building could play a pivotal role in re-imaging Mansfield as a vibrant, progressive and historic community, one of the state’s leading mid-size cities and the heart of North Central Ohio.”
In his proposal, McQuillin cited the following advantages of the plan:
• highly visible.
• innovative, may gain national attention.
• potential funding from state sources and federal sources.
• efficient, adaptable plan mixes retail, offices, apartments, hotel suites.
• creates construction jobs, boosts tax revenues.
• base of downtown residents stimulates additional projects, the conversion of upper floors of historic buildings into similar loft apartments.
• nucleus for a larger events center.
“That space has the potential to become the focal point not only of downtown but of greater Richland County if the plan to reconstruct its form and create a vibrant new facility is realized,” McQuillin wrote. “Downtown Mansfield is experiencing growth and a retail renaissance of its historic downtown, but it needs to have downtown living as part of the mix in order to realize its true potential.
“The stumbling block is achieving an initial mass of residents who create the sense that downtown living is a viable option. This building could fulfill that goal, as it solves at once two major impediments to downtown housing, accessibility and parking.
“Not every building would need to fully address these issues, but realization of this project could jump-start projects, such as the May and Hancock and Dow buildings. Central Park could be rebuilt as a single peaceful and naturally beautiful entity.”
The project carries an estimated price tag of $3.95 million with an additional $500,000 estimated for contingencies. Apartments in the project would range from $790 per month for a ground floor, smaller one bedroom unit to $1,490 per month for a 1,200 square-foot, three-bedroom facility.
Sandstone trim would be used judiciously to give a fine exterior appearance, McQuillin said, adding architectural fiberglass would be used for the cornices and the central tower, which would be fully framed in steel.
“The principle on this project is that, while the higher quality exterior and the tower are not necessary for this type of construction, they enable the building to achieve a sense of grandeur and history without undue higher cost, because the higher rents generated can help subsidize the extra cost,” McQullin’s proposal outlined.
