Reader likes downtown progress

To the Editor:

I was recently in Van Wert and I am amazed with the work that is being done downtown. I was raised in Van Wert and left in 1985, joining the military, and 21 years later I retired from the military and ended up in the St. Louis, Missouri, area for work.  

Over the almost 35 years, I have come home to visit Van Wert — yes, I still consider it my home — and have seen the downtown area in poor shape. I have also noticed in the last 10 plus years the vast improvement to the downtown area, the opportunities that the town is creating for residents, activities for the families and the overall spirit and pride I see when I come home.  

I follow the local news on-line through the Van Wert Independent and I see the economic development group, Main Street Van Wert and the others focusing energy and money into creating a first-class downtown area. Many generous donors have provided funds for great entertainment, parks, sporting events and festivals. Residents of Van Wert should be proud of what is taking place and continue to get behind those creating improvements by attending the festivals, visiting the parks and sporting events, become patrons of local business, being good citizens and have pride in ownership of shared common areas, always leave things better than you found it. 

I saw the Hidden Spaces tour article in the Independent a few weeks back. I learned Sticky Rammel has a short-term lease rental (3 days to a month or more) on South Washington in the downtown area, upstairs in one of the buildings. I was fortunate enough to stay a long weekend in the property and it is amazing. I walked downtown and there was everything I could need, great restaurants, shopping, and entertainment (Wassenberg Art Center, (Brumback) Library, Historical Museum) were within a 5-minute walk. Stickey is great to work with, and the apartment is top notch!  He thought of everything a short-term renter would need. I highly recommend it to local business when you have folks coming in from out of town for work, visiting doctors and family coming for a stay.  

This is the kind of business thinking that will take the downtown area to the next level.  I hope more long- and short-term apartments will be coming to the downtown area soon.

I am very happy to see the downtown area revitalized and want to thank those who have had a hand in getting it to its current state and those looking to take it to new and higher levels.  Everyone who lives in Van Wert, or calls it their home town, should feel the pride of ownership and be a good steward of what is going on in Van Wert.  I am looking forward to my next visit.

Respectfully,

Mike Mohr

former Van Wert resident

via email