Two downtown VW businesses relocate

VW independent staff/submitted information

Two downtown Van Wert businesses have temporarily relocated to make way for Phase 1 of Van Wert Forward.

Rhoades Insurance is now located at 122 N. Washington St. (beside the Chamber of Commerce Office), while The Warehouse has relocated to 105 W. Main St., next to Elite Interiors.

Both businesses continue to operate as usual and offer the same services as at their previous locations. They will transition back into their original sites after the historic renovations.

Phase 1 of the Van Wert Forward project includes public and private space improvements and has 12 parcels which will be consolidated into five parcels, featuring approximately 13 commercial spaces and 37 residential units. The project involves three clusters in the downtown area – north, central, and south.

The North Cluster is along the west side of N. Washington Street by the railroad tracks: 117-119 N. Washington and 121-123 N. Washington. The Central Cluster is at the northeast corner of Main and Washington,101-107 E. Main St. and 108-110 N. Washington. The South Cluster is at the southwest corner of Washington and Main, 100-106 E. Main and 108 E. Main.

The early construction won’t be as noticeable as it will be inside work. Demolition work should begin in several weeks, with project completion currently slated for late 2022 or early 2023.

“We understand the construction process will take between 12 and 18 months for each of those spaces, depending on the size of the space before a business or resident can begin to move into a space,” Seth Baker, CEO of The Van Wert County Foundation said.

The kickoff ceremony is in conjunction with the Harvest Moon Festival, Saturday, September 25, 2021.

For more information on Van Wert Forward, visit vanwertforward.org.