Heritage Ohio Award for The Carlisle Building
The Carlisle Building was honored as the 2016 recipient for Best Commercial Rehabilitation by Heritage Ohio. The award was presented to Chesler Group, our project architect Schooley & Caldwell Associates and Adena Health System, our tenant.
Excerpt from our nomination:
People often look at historic buildings and declare “it’s too far gone, it can’t possibly be saved.” The Carlisle Block Building, located in the heart of downtown Chillicothe, Ohio was such building. This prominent landmark had survived a serious fire in 2003, a nearby subterranean water main break, several failed renovation attempts, and 11 years of condemnation and being open to the elements. The results of this neglect included a rear wall that had collapsed into the basement, taking out a portion of the floor structure; an incomplete roof structure; a dormer that was still moving away from the building; and foundations that had been washed away under major loadbearing masonry walls, resulting in cracks large enough to stick your arm through. If there was ever a building ‘too far gone’ Carlisle represented it all.
The team’s commitment to preserve and protect the Carlisle involved exacting attention to detail using modern construction techniques blended with “old work methods.” The project utilized both Federal and State Historic Tax Credits, with a total project cost of approximately $10MM. Moreover, it is the first project accepted into the JobsOhio Revitalization Program, which focuses on projects that benefit local and state economies. It is a fine example of how historic tax credits and other economic incentives contribute to saving our history. Importantly, the reconstruction and restoration of this iconic historic structure has been a catalyst to aid the revitalization of Downtown Chillicothe and its surrounding community. In fact, since the completion of the Carlisle project at least three more Downtown development projects have been in the works. Carlisle’s success story has strengthened confidence in the City and serves as a reminder that historic main streets greatly benefit from collaborative efforts to preserve and maintain the past for our future.
