Though he lives in Union, Kentucky, Andy Chirch has a strong interest in downtown Cincinnati - an interest so strong that he recently began restoring a 96 year old building on the corner of Main and Seventh Streets.
Affectionately called the Waltz building, the three-story structure houses Mayberry Foodstuffs grocery store and a Checksmart on the first floor, and second-floor apartments. Chirch purchased the building in March from James and Janet Jehn, former owners of Waltz Business Solutions, now located in Northern Kentucky. The Jehns owned the building from 1961 to 2011.
"I've spent a lot of time and energy downtown over the last 10 years, and I saw an opportunity to align my passions with my life," says Chirch. Chirch was a director at U.S. Bank 2003-2007 and president of the Downtown Residents Council from 2009-2010. Currently, he is chief financial officer at Prus Construction based in Mariemont.
As he develops his construction plan for the Waltz building, Chirch is focusing on the third floor - which will be a 1,600-square foot apartment, he says - and the building's exterior. He posts updates on the Downtownity blog, where he explains "Downtown + My Insanity = Downtownity." Recent posts mused about AC units and greenery.
"The place reeks of history - in a good way," he says. "You walk in and you can feel the story of the people that worked and lived there for almost a hundred years. We're going to be very sensitive to the character."
When he found out the Jehns had the Waltz building on the market, he reached out to the Cincinnati Development Fund, a non-profit lending institution that bankrolls rehab projects downtown and in Over-the-Rhine. CDF contributed $320,000, with $250,000 going to the property acquisition and $70,000 to the construction plan, says loan officer Alicia Townsend.
Throughout its most recent fiscal year, which ended March 31, CDF contributed $56 million to projects, says president Jeanne Golliher.
"Preservation is one of our priorities," she says. "Redeveloping buildings that add to the historic fabric of our city is really our focus."
Writer: Rich Shivener
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