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St. Marys officials hope to rent out the main floor of the recently renovated historic Reservoir Mill for small events.
ST. MARYS - St. Marys officials hope to unveil a new event center housed in a historic gristmill on the banks of the the Miami and Erie Canal some time at the end of the summer after over a decade of planning and restoration.
The restoration of St. Marys' Reservoir Mill, located at 156 E. High St., kicked off in 2021, according to Mike Burkholder, city manager of industrial and community development.
The project's first phase involved stabilizing the structure and overall cosmetic upgrades to the exterior, which were desperately needed, Burkholder said. It came to around $1.2 million, and was funded entirely with excess revolving loan funds.
St. Marys officials look to have the historic Reservoir Mill ready to open to the public sometime in the next few months.
In January, city officials received six bids for the project's second phase, which involved a renovation of the mill's interior.
The lowest base bid of $739,700 was submitted by Heyne Construction of Minster. Other bids were received from Grand Lake Building Co., H.A. Dorsten, RCS Construction, Westerheide Construction and Muhlenkamp Building Corp.
Heyne's bid, with the addition of three alternates, or project add-ons, brought phase 2's project total to $832,700.
The first alternate involved the addition of a cement base poured in the mill's basement in an effort to stamp out issues with excess moisture.
The second project alternate involved the installation of shiplap siding inside the first floor of the mill for a more rustic look.
The third and final alternate officials went forward with involved the installation of a subfloor on the second floor of the mill.
St. Marys officials hope to rent out the main floor of the recently renovated historic Reservoir Mill for small events.
Officials awarded the contract including the three aforementioned alternates to Heyne in January. It was funded mainly with $750,000 the city received from the state's capital budget. Leftover funding came from the city's lodging tax.
"They exceeded our expectations," Burkholder said of the general contractor. "They just far exceeded our expectations. We had an idea, and a vision, and they just exceeded it."
The City of St. Marys acquired the property in February 2019 from Heinrich Leasing Co. for an undisclosed amount, per the Auglaize County Auditor's website.
Officials were planning the project long before the building was acquired, Burkholder said, estimating the restoration project had been in the works for 13-15 years.
Burkholder said the interior renovation would likely be complete sometime in mid-to-late August.
The city will then open up the first floor to the public to rent for small events such as bridal and baby showers, anniversary parties and reunions; they are also open to renting it out to local corporations and organizations for conferences and meetings.
The building features seating for 60 people, a corner kitchenette, a bathroom and, once complete, will have televisions available for possible presentations.
The upstairs of the recently renovated historic Reservoir Mill in St. Marys will not be open to the public and will be used as storage.
The mill's second floor will be closed to the public and used for storage for the time being, along with its basement, which will also be closed until further funding is potentially secured for additional renovations.
In order to open the mill's second floor for rentals, Burkholder said an elevator would need to be installed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
"But you know, an elevator is probably (another) $2 million. It's just, where is that money coming from? So that's why I say we would, if money was no object, we absolutely would finish (the second floor) off," he said. "If it becomes available (we are open to it). And that's why we decided to put the subfloor in."
Another possibility in the future is converting the mill's basement into a small museum dedicated to its history, Burkholder said. In the meantime, however, the mill will have some artifacts from its early days as a working mill on display throughout.
Artifacts from the recently renovated historic Reservoir Mill will be displayed throughout the building in St. Marys.
The basement of the recently renovated historic Reservoir Mill in St. Marys will not be open to the public to rent but may house a small museum in the future.
The Reservoir Mill was established for milling flour in 1847, just after the completion of the Miami and Erie Canal, according to a building history on the City of St. Marys website. Robert B. Gordon, Sr., who later became a state representative from Auglaize County, first operated and shortly thereafter owned the mill. After his death, his son, the Honorable Robert B. Gordon, Jr., a U.S. Representative from Ohio, took over the business and established the firm The Gordon, Hauss, Folk, Co.
At that time, the history states, the mill was also known as the "City Mills." The Gordon, Hauss, Folk, Co. manufactured "Purity" and "Pride of St. Marys" flour which was sold extensively in western Ohio.
The mill operated until 1972, per the city website. Almost all of the mill equipment has long been removed from the site. After its closure, the building was used mainly for storage and fell into disrepair, according to the history. It was named a historic landmark in 2010.
City officials, along with the city council, took a tour of the property in late June to see the project's progress.
Once the interior renovation is done, Burkholder said city officials will open up the space to the public for an open house some time around late August.
