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Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Vol. 65, Issue No. 3
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A new life planned for a historic Rochester building
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When you think of a do-it-yourself remodeling project, what likely comes to mind is a kitchen or a bathroom. For Michael Rich, his ambition is a little bit larger. Let’s say, around 20,000 square feet larger. Michael and his wife, Dr. Caitlin Rich, recently purchased the massive space at 501-503 Main Street, located just north of downtown Rochester. The building has been virtually vacant for nearly two decades, used only for light warehousing since 2003. The history of the building is somewhat muddled as records have been somewhat sparse, according to Rich. Telltale signs point to the building’s construction somewhere around 1915-20, but nothing more precise has been discovered. The immediate previous owners, Chuck Pocock and John Garrett, have been using the space for storage for the past decade and were looking for the right buyer who was willing to make the investment to save part of Rochester’s history. Their fellow realtor John Little put Pocock and Garrett in touch with the Riches and the deal began to take shape. With an extensive background in construction, Rich began his work inside the building. The early stages have consisted mostly of demolition work, including gutting the interior of its extensive shelving infrastructure and tearing out the flooring. The building previously housed several iterations of uniform apparel manufacturing companies, beginning with the Elin Bros. in the late 1930s and ending with Topps Manu-
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facturing in 2003. Another problem, known by the Riches before they purchased the building, was there was a great deal of asbestos that had to be properly removed and disposed. This, along with most of the interior work, has and will be done by Rich himself. He plans to subcontract out some of the work, including the window replacement, electrical and plumbing work, but the general construction will be done by him. He added it will need a new roof, the estimate for which was more than twice what they paid for the building itself. Rich is trying to re-purpose as much of the lumber
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&20,1* 6221 ³ $Q DUWLVW·V UHQGHU LQJ RI WKH H[WHULRU RI WKH SURSHUWLHV ORFDWHG DW 0DLQ 6W 5RFKHVWHU 7KH EXLOG LQJV DUH EHLQJ UHQRYDWHG E\ 'U &DLWOLQ DQG 0LFKDHO 5LFK ZKR KRSH WR KDYH WKH SURMHFW FRPSOHWHG LQ HDUO\ *UDSKLF SURYLGHG E\ 0LFKDHO 5LFK inside the building. Some of it he plans to use himself while some he has donated to others for their own projects. The overall shape and construction of the building is solid, however, and the Riches have great plans for the space. They plan to move their existing business, Flirt Boutique, into the space, as well as opening Richie’s Menswear, which will be connected yet have its own separate space. The Riches are currently working with another local businessman to convert the 7,600 squarefoot second floor into a catering business that will include a rental space accommodating up to 370 people. Additionally, the plans include 10 large offices with a shared conference room that will be available individually for lease and space for another storefront. They also are planning to have 6,000 square feet of warehouse space that will be leased to multiple local businesses and will provide easy access at the back of the building. While the Riches fully accept the costs associated with renovating the interior of the building, they are welcoming donations from anyone interested in the restoration of the building’s exterior facade. They had planned to hold a fundraiser to help with those costs, but it had to be scuttled because of COVID concerns. Any business, organization or individual interested in making a contribution or who would like further information is encouraged to contact Kayla Buckner at (574) 835-3214, or by email at KB.RDC1360@gmail.com. Donations also can be mailed to 1360 E. Fourth St., Rochester, IN 46975. Rich hopes the entire project will be completed by March 2023.
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