Changes around corner for Sunshine, Fremont

Terry Reynolds, principal of the C. Arch Bay Co., is in the early planning stages of a project that will bring new construction and new businesses to the southeast corner of East Sunshine Street and South Fremont Avenue.

“We’re going to put a retail-office center in there,” Reynolds said, adding that it might include a restaurant as well.

The project would require the demolition of 1416 E. Sunshine – the two-story building that housed Kaleidoscope for 32 years, and 1400 E. Sunshine – now home to Super Scooter Shop South. Demolition would then wrap around the corner to take out eight of C. Arch Bay Co.’s rental houses – 1814-1858 S. Fremont Ave. All 10 structures are owned by One Hundred Two Glenstone Inc., the parent company of C. Arch Bay.

An estimated cost for the project is not yet available. “We have no idea yet. We don’t even have a drawing yet,” Reynolds said. “It will be a year probably to get it all together. It won’t be done in a year. We hope to begin (construction) in the year 2005.”

The Greene County assessor’s office lists the appraised value for the two commercial buildings as $224,600 and the eight houses as $411,300.

“With the hospital there, it’s a fabulous area, and it’s not being used to its highest and best use,” Reynolds said. “We want to have a neighborhood feel to it and blend in with the hospital and neighborhood.”

Bay-Wilhoit Building

As Reynolds begins making plans for new structures, the sale of one of the company’s larger structures is nearing completion.

The sale of the 100,000-square-foot Bay-Wilhoit building, downtown on Pershing Street, is set to close Feb. 1. Recess Properties is acquiring the building.

“We should be in full renovation in late spring,” said Matt Miller, co-owner of Recess Properties, who declined to disclose the purchase price.

Miller and partners Matthew Miller and Jeff Schrag plan a redevelopment of the Bay-Wilhoit that could exceed $10 million. Plans include restaurant, office, living and retail spaces. Bates and Associates is the architect.

“We should be focused on it full-speed ahead by late spring and we’d like to turn the thing around in a year,” Matt Miller said.

Future tenants have not yet signed on, but Miller said there have been a lot of inquiries. “We’ve got interest from a lot of big users, big tenants and franchises and things like that,” he said.

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