The three-story brick building at 59 East Spring Street sits alone in a sea of surface parking lots. The first floor of the building, which has been empty since Cherry’s Art Center closed in 2012 after many decades of operation, is now being renovated by the Day Companies.
Ricky Day of the Day Companies said that they’ve completely gutted the first floor and are putting in a new storefront. They also will be exposing the brick walls, refinishing the original floors and restoring the original tin ceiling. He hopes to find a good fit for the long, narrow space – it’s about 6,000 square feet but only 30 feet wide.
“It’s a very unique space, we’ve thought it might work as a showroom with offices behind,” said Day, adding that the renovation should be finished in about four months.
There are no plans to renovate the second and third floors, which currently house artist studios.
The Spring Street building is one of a handful of unique storefronts the development and property management firm is currently marketing. Just around the corner at 90 North High Street sits a mid-century, two-story building that last housed offices for Experience Columbus.
Day said he thinks a restaurant user looking for lots of room might be a good fit for the space. The first floor is about 5,600 square feet and has 15 foot ceilings. Covered parking behind the building and a 57-space surface lot next door (which is mostly used during the day by office workers), could provide adjacent off-street parking, an amenity most downtown restaurants don’t offer.
Day also shared tentative plans for the first floor space at 46 North High Street, currently occupied by the Peanut Shoppe. He said the Peanut Shoppe is planning to relocate, and that Day Companies would likely gut and renovate the 2,000 square-foot storefront.
For more information, visit www.daycompanies.net.
Photo by Walker Evans.