Jerry McClain builds on two decades’ worth of savvy in downtown Newark, OH
Twenty years ago, developer Jerry McClain built the North Third Tower office building in downtown Newark. He hasn’t stopped since — if anything, he’s only gaining speed.
Other notable Jerry McClain Companies projects over the years have included the First Federal Savings and Loan building renovation and the Licking County Foundation building. These days he’s hard at work on residential and commercial projects along the north side of town, which he envisions as becoming a new front door to Newark.
“The area from West Main Street to around the square, around the courthouse, has tremendous potential,” McClain says. “Newark is the county seat, and we have all those workers, as well as all the banks, real estate and legal offices. We need to build on that, and to have the spaces to accommodate all kinds of different businesses.”
For his part, McClain says that he hopes to launch multi-use developments on the north gateway side of town, some of which could include a hotel, bank and other retail developments. And while downtown must compete with malls and suburban areas, McClain says that its amenities are a strong and growing lure.
“We have things like the Midland Theatre, a beautiful asset for downtown, and we’re getting new restaurants,” he says. “The downtown development people are working hard to bring more of that in, and some condos or apartments will be a real catalyst for bringing even more people back into downtown and using the space in some of those historic buildings that are sitting empty.”
