COSHOCTON, Ohio — Coshocton Mayor Mark Mills is a native of the city, which has been home to 11,000 residents for the past two and a half years. 

What You Need To Know

  • The 60,000-square-foot, three-floor Selby building was built in 1895 and was once a thriving center of commerce

  • The building has been vacant for more than a decade

  • Gov. Mike DeWine proposed $500 million in investment for the development of downtown areas in Appalachia

He's one of many in the town with a vision of restoring the former Selby building, a cornerstone of Coshocton's downtown, to its former glory.  

“It was a vision of mine not to let this just sit empty. You hear the saying that the apple rots from the core, and really this is an integral part of our city, and we need a strong core downtown,” said Mills. “My memory is, if I was here on my bike I was in trouble, because I was too far away from home."

The 60,000-square-foot, three-floor Selby building was built in 1895 and was once a thriving center of commerce, which included the JJ Newberry Company, a popular five and dime store. 

The building has been vacant for more than a decade, and many areas, including the third floor and lower levels, need costly repairs because of a hole in the roof, which caused extensive water damage. 

“What better way to forge a better future for your community than taking tried and true pieces of your past to help forge that future,” said Lanny Spaulding, executive director of Our Town Coshocton. 

Spaulding said Our Town Coshocton is a nonprofit which owns the Selby building and has dedicated its time and resources with a goal of revitalizing downtown and preserving the city's history. 

He said $500,000 worth of funding for structural repairs and weatherproofing was made possible by both the Coshocton and Montgomery Foundations. 

Our Town Coshocton has also reached out to private developers who have connections to the community. 

“So for this first initial phase, this should be wrapped up by fall. At that point, the private sector will be taking over. The way it's structured with the different access points; you can start opening up different sections at a time. We're actually on the ground floor envisioning a breakfast and lunch counter,” said Spaulding. 

“A lot of it's just from the rain, and once that's dried in, it's going to be fixable,” said Mills. 

Mills said he's proud of the local investment in the city's downtown over the past few years. 

As Coshocton moves forward into the future, residents will once again have the chance to embrace a vital part of its city's past. 

“My ultimate goal is to make downtown Coshocton historic. So when you hear historic downtown, (it) adds a lot to a community, and I'm very excited to get the ball rolling down here,” said Mills. 

Gov. Mike DeWine proposed $500 million in investment for the development of downtown areas in Appalachia, which covers almost 40% of the state. 

The funds would come from the American Rescue Plan and will require final approvals from the state legislature.