13 minute read
SAVVY SPACES
Design with Purpose & Passion
Inspiration from Revival Design’s work with THE SYNDICATE in Bellefontaine
by Kelsi Nellis, Marketing Associate, Revival Design Co.
Sometimes, when you begin a project, you realize the location’s history will guide your design where it was always meant to go. This was the case when we began designing The Syndicate restaurant in Bellefontaine, Ohio. The Syndicate is a new building, constructed on the site of the old Jackson's News Stand. Originally opened in 1922 as an outlet for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the newsstand had several owners in its early days. In 1946, Warren and Jo Jackson took ownership and operated Jackson's News Stand for the next 47 years. Although the structure was demolished long ago, our clients wanted to pay homage to the history of the site as a place that became much more than a newsstand — it was a Logan County institution where members of the community would gather to shop and socialize.
To begin a project of this scope, we start by asking tons of questions. Some are more focused on functionality — How many guests would you like to accommodate? What are your kitchen and bar equipment needs? How flexible does the space need to be for different types of events? Others are more focused on style — What's your story? How do you want guests to feel while dining? What type of image do you want to portray? What's going to be on the menu? In the case of The Syndicate, researching the history of the site would also be crucial to our design. This is done by gathering information from the library, the historical society, and most importantly, local people. When talking to those who remember these businesses and buildings, we treasure hearing the stories, memories, and history as remembered by past owners and patrons.
After our research, it was obvious that the entire brand, The Syndicate, needed to be thoughtfully structured around the newsstand theme: The bar is encompassed by a replica iron newsstand with Luxfer prism glass, salvaged from another downtown Bellefontaine building that had been demolished; A vintage Jackson's News Stand lit sign was incorporated into the back patio design; Museum-quality, original newspaper articles are artfully framed and displayed throughout the restaurant; Custom signage reading "Extra, Extra!" and "The Front Page" add fun to the space and remind guests of the history of the site.
The wall adjacent to the host stand is entirely covered with a custom wallpaper featuring historical news articles originally printed in the Bellefontaine Examiner (the local newspaper). We worked with the owner and the Logan County History Museum to gather as many news articles and advertisements as possible and then selected ones that were either historically significant or visually interesting. We partnered with a local design and print shop to carefully scan each delicate piece, artfully arranged them, and print and install the custom wallpaper.
Another challenge to be met in architecture and design is how to make a space beautiful and functional simultaneously. Every single aesthetic decision involves deep thought in terms of functionality. An example specifically for this restaurant design would be acoustics. At The Syndicate, we knew that minimizing noise was a top priority for the owner, so early on we brought in an acoustics consultant to run calculations and help us find a thoughtful acoustical treatment solution that was within the project budget. The final outcome were three-dimensional acoustical ceiling tiles, applied to the underside of the structure in the dining room to absorb noise and reduce echo. Not only do they look great, but the moment those panels went up during construction, everyone on the job site noticed a significant improvement in sound quality within the space. This could be easily applied to residential design through things like adding rugs to the floor, or hanging curtains.
Another factor at the forefront when making aesthetic decisions is the durability and clean-ability of items — you can select the most beautiful tile backsplash, dining room chair, or custom light fixture, but none of that matters if it breaks in six months or is impossible to clean. We sought frequent input from The Syndicate team, the contractors, the vendors, and the developers in regard to cleaning products that were going to be used in the space, the desired longevity for finishes and furniture, and their comfort level in maintaining and repairing custom features.
The fundamental challenge common to all developers is execution — the savvy selection of the physical location, the alignment of brand and environmental design, and the orchestration of the build-out. Revival offers a better way to carry out our client’s vision through market research, deep collaboration, and multidisciplinary team-based approach. The result is distinctive brands and spaces that are delivered with white-glove service.
Whether you find yourself in a position where you’re designing a restaurant, or you’re just trying to redesign your home, the same basic tenets apply. Design with purpose and passion, and you will end up finding where you were always meant to go.
A little about us: As a team, Revival believes in a collaborative approach to design. We are a team of story tellers, problem solvers, and dream makers. We believe in inclusivity, accessibility, and that being genuine and hospitable with others will make us all successful and happy.
Feeling inspired? Reach out and let’s talk at www.revivaldesign.co, call (800) 567-9103, or follow us @revivaldesign.co on Instagram, Facebook, or Linkedin.
by Josh Bloomfield, Project Director
Get Busy Living!
Our vision is to create a well-orchestrated, mixed-use community that provides housing, commercial, medical, childcare, light industrial, and beautiful parks/public amenities to the great people of West Central Ohio! We want to create one of the nicest, most amazing developments in the Midwest. We believe that the people in our region both need and DESERVE this. We want this 254 acre project to be instrumental in helping nurture, uplift, entertain and grow our region. In short, we want this to help our region ‘get busy living,’ and will do so by providing the market rate housing and amenities to support a growing workforce!
We have a 25-year development agreement with the Village of Cridersville. Phase 1 of development will start in Q2 of 2023, and will be completed by 2028. Phase 1 of the project will include 210+ residences, a 20+ acre Medical Park, and the plots of land for restaurants that are currently listed for sale.
RESIDENTIAL
Dr. Craig Nicholson is the founder and visionary behind Crossroads. He is one of the best and busiest Urologists in the country. He moved to our area 15 years ago and built his practice, raised his family, and fell in love with the people of West Central Ohio. He wanted to re-invest in the community and bring a taste of “big city” development to the region, including a state-of-the art medical plaza! The Crossroads community has plans for multiple housing options to suit any tenant or property owner. From multi-family complexes like upscale apartments, townhouses, and condominiums to single-family homes, the residential aspect of the community will leave residents with no shortage of options.
RETAIL
The Crossroads community is poised in the prime position to benefit retailers because the area serves as a crossing point between multiple regions and bigger cities. Planning is already underway for small commercial spaces and mid and large-box retail establishments.
RESTAURANTS
Every good community needs good food where community members can come together and travelers can try local food fare. The Crossroads is set to become a hot spot for the best eateries along the I-75 corridor with multiple restaurants already staking their parcel claims.
HOTELS
Accommodations, meeting spaces, and outdoor facilities are important to any well-established community. For now, several outlying parcels of The Crossroads are dedicated to hotels.
TRAFFIC
The majority of traffic to Crossroads will travel via interstate 75 and will have very little impact on the surrounding roadways. We have completed traffic studies, and are working in partnership with the local, state, and federal governments on having a scalable road improvement plan in support of the development.
CENTRAL PARK
We will have a 12+ acre Central Park at the heart of the development, which will include amenities such as puttputt golf, walking trails, outdoor concert venue, foodtruck accommodations, and frisbee golf. The park will become a community center for the local community as a great place to host an event, party, or concert. It will also provide a great draw for the 40,000+ daily interstate travelers to stop and spend some time/money in our community.
GET INVOLVED
We would love to partner with any interested local investors and businesses. The best way to get involved or learn more about the project is to reach out to me directly via email at joshb@crossroadsofnwo.com.
COMMUNITY COLLABORATION SURVEY
We want your feedback on this project so please fill out our survey at crossroadsofnwo.com/community-collaboration-survey
Mudsock Rd
5
7
6
LAND USE KEY
RESIDENTIAL
MIXED-USE
RETAIL
MEDICAL
HOSPITALITY
LIGHT INDUSTRIAL
INSTITUTIONAL
RESTAURANT National Rd
9
BUILDING KEY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Hospital Regional Child Care Center Parking Garage Branding Water Tower 100,000 ft2 Warehouse 30,000 ft2 Cold Storage Truck Wash Data Warehousing Solar Array
1 2 3 4
US - 75
8
by Tara Reynolds Bales
The Ohio Theatre had been closed to the general public for over 10 years and is being transformed into a stateof-the-art performing arts venue. After a yearlong search looking for a theatre to buy, renovate and reopen, new owners of the property, Michael Bouson and Joe Correll, are working tirelessly to restore this historic landmark. They have currently opened the Ohio Theatre’s “The Stage Door Canteen,” and eventually in early spring “The Playwright Bakery & Cafe” will open. The “The Main Stage Dinner Theatre” will begin in the late spring and “Dillinger’s,” a jazzy second-floor speakeasy with a cutout to the interior lobby below and a 30-foot-long antique art deco bar will open summer of 2023.
While Michael Bouson is from Pittsburgh, PA, he attended Miami University in Oxford for his degree in theatre, and his father lives in Akron. He worked in live theatre and television most of this life, which includes 10 years on Broadway. He was also an executive chef and caterer in Manhattan, so the menu is a creative outlet.
Joe Correll is also a tv, restaurant and theatre professional. Michael and Joe met while performing together in 1988. They were also producers on the “Love Connection” reboot early in their TV careers, and have designated Friday night as Date Night to honor all of those that have shared their stories about meeting their significant others at the theatre.
I attended Open Mic Night at the Stage Door Canteen with a friend, which is every Thursday night at 8 p.m. A few of the guests that signed up to perform were Jason Cooper on guitar, Angela Lauck with spoken word, Justin Giesige on the piano, and Zach Welly as a magician (and our bartender). Looking for a twist on traditional chicken tenders? You must try the Honey Sriracha Chicken Tenders with Thai Cucumber Sauce. Sweet and tangy with a hint of heat! The Pepperoni Pizza Bomb exploded with marinara sauce and warm melted mozzarella cheese. Oh, the Parmesan Fry Bread! It was full of flavor, served warm with a side of sauce and peppers.
Joe Correll & Michael Bouson
I look forward to checking out their Ladies Night with a drag queen show on Wednesdays at 8 p.m., Showtunes Sing Along on Friday nights at 7 p.m., Party Night on Saturdays at 8 p.m., and dinner theatre shows in April!
The Cole Collection Event, A Huge Success
by Megan Rockey, The Cole Collection Founder The 9th annual Cole Collection event, held on November 3rd at the Shawnee Country Club, was a great success! Enough money was raised to buy gifts for all 185 children in foster and relative care through the Allen County Children Services.
Guests enjoyed passed appetizers as they shopped around the room at the various local boutique vendors.
This fundraising event would not have been possible without the help of a huge team of volunteers and vendors that begin planning the event months in advance.
Thank you for another year of spreading joy to Lima area children. We were able to do this because of each and every supporter, attendee, vendor and volunteer.
According to Allen County Children Services, many of these children would receive very little, if anything, if not for the incredible generosity of everyone who is apart of the Cole Collection. For more information visit www. colecollection.org.
Shawnee Athletic Boosters
and Dueling Pianos at Old Barn
by Mindy Molaski, Shawnee Schools Parent
On Saturday, November 5th, the Shawnee Athletic Boosters organizaton hosted an amazing event at the Old Barn Bar and Grill. The dinner was wonderful, offering chicken and rice, potatoes, salad, prime rib, and of course many delicious desserts. The entertainment kept the audience laughing and singing the entire night with pianos dueling every song anyone could think of!
Ashton Wolf Entertainment, Indianapolis Along with a portion of the ticket sales and specialty drink sales going straight to the Athletic Boosters, many single teams had baskets made to sell for the silent auction that were set up through the night. Every basket/item was sold, and that money goes directly to the teams. A wonderful night was had by all who attended, and all are hoping the event can only get bigger and better in the future! Special thank you to Booster President, Brian Wheeler, and owner of Old Back, Pete Williams, for all the hard work put into the event! All the student athletes at Shawnee High School will benefit from an evening of fun!
World-class health care in your neighborhood
Whether it’s tackling a serious health issue or improving your overall well-being, we’re committed to helping you stay healthy and strong. Our doctors and health care professionals are passionate about improving your overall health with personalized health care solutions so you can be there for what matters most. Visit mercy.com to find a location and connect with a primary care provider today.
