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Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Vol. 64, Issue No. 37
617 Main Street, Rochester, IN 46975
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ELECT
FULTON COUNTY • FAIR • HARD WORKING READY TO GO — Pictured at the ground breaking for The Grounded Coffee House at the Depot are, from left: Tim Shelly, Kurt Garner,
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Rebecca Hartzler, Kirk Robinson, Jim Steen, Merl Tinkey, Lori TildenGeiger, DeLynn Geiger and Jim Saner.
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to become a reality in Akron Text and Photos By KEITH KNEPP Associate Editor For Lori and DeLynn Geiger of Akron, the idea of improving their hometown is always something in the forefront of their minds. When the opportunity to improve the town in two ways came about, they knew it was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up. Last Thursday afternoon, the couple broke ground on the corner lot at the intersection of Rochester and Mishawaka streets for their new venture, The Grounded Coffee House at The Depot. The plan is to move the historic old train depot located a few blocks south of that location. The depot was built in 1883 and originally was part of the Erie
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Lackawanna Railroad line. The plans are to move the depot to the southwest corner of the intersection. Before it is moved, they plan to dig a basement and foundation to place underneath the building. The hope is to have the foundation completed and the building moved sometime this fall. The anticipated opening of the business is in 2023. When it does open, the Geigers plan to offer breakfast, pastries and sandwiches. “We want to fill in a gap,” said Lori Tilden-Geger. “Akron was missing a coffeehouse. This is a labor of love and it will be a protracted process because we plan to do much of the work ourselves. We were excited when we came up with the idea for this project.” Tilden-Geiger said the depot was
BACK TO THE FUTURE — Lori Tilden-Geiger and her husband DeLynn Geiger have purchased the lot on the southwest corner of Rochester and Mishawaka streets in Akron and are planning to open a coffee house on the site in 2023. They plan to move and revitalize the old Akron train depot that sits three blocks south of the site. purchased in August from Pike Lumber and the property through the Akron Redevelopment Committee. “This is about preserving history,” added Kurt Garner, the project’s architect and planner. “The depot is part of Akron. I’m the guide for the preservation techniques.” Tilden-Geiger said she anticipates the business will be an informal gathering place for the community to come together. She is thrilled they also will be preserving a historic building. When asked, “Why invest in Ak-
ron?,” the answer was easy for the Geigers. For the last three years, the couple has invested their time revitalizing the Akron Chamber of Commerce. The membership has doubled with a renewed pride in small town business and small town living. The focus moved from promoting just businesses inside the town limits to a more regional theme. “What we have learned over the past several years is to think more regionally,” said Tilden-Geiger. “Those town, city or county lines Continued on page 3
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