By SEAN RICE
srice@dailystandard.com
A Detroit-area couple has decided to relocate to Celina and
purchase Candlelight Inn restaurant on Main Street.
Mercer County Commissioners scheduled a public hearing for Sept.
30 to gather comments on an application to borrow $50,000 from
the county’s revolving loan fund that will help with the
purchase. The couple plans to expand the hours to include breakfast
and add employees.
After nearly 30 years in the “rat race” of the Detroit-area
auto plant industry, Wiley Dodd said he and his wife Lynn Dodd
decided to head south to Celina after visiting his brother-in-law
on West Bank Road a couple of times.
“We fell in love with the place, everybody was so friendly
and great,” Wiley Dodd said when contacted at his Riverview,
Mich., residence.
According to the revolving loan application on file in the Mercer
County Community Development office, the couple plans to invest
$280,000 in purchasing the land, building and business from
owner Paul Zeigler and expand the business hours to create five
new jobs. With the revolving loan, the remainder of the investment
will come from equity and a private lender.
Community Development Director Larry Stelzer said this is an
example of why tourism is an important part of community development.
“This guy comes into town and he can’t believe what
a nice beautiful lake we have and a great community ... now
he’s looking forward to becoming part of this community,”
Stelzer said. “And I think that’s pretty slick.”
Wiley Dodd said the deal could be completed by the end of November,
and he plans to rent an apartment for a couple months while
his wife sells the house in Michigan.
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