Downtown Turnaround
business, downtown revitalization, jerry mclain, licking county, newark,
Jerry McClain’s home has always been Newark, and now he is helping provide his hometown with a new look.
The owner of contracting firm The Jerry McClain Cos. is helping make the entrance to downtown Newark more attractive to the eye.
“My grandparents, parents, children and I have always called Newark home, and my goal for the past couple of years has been to provide a good front door, first impression into the city,” McClain says. “We need a beautiful, welcoming entrance into downtown Newark at Fourth Street and Route 16, and I’ve been working hard to make that happen.”
McClain has long headquartered his company in the seven-story North Third Tower office building on Third and Church streets, and he has spent $2 million since January 2008 to acquire real estate at the entrance of downtown Newark. He has begun to tear down several of the outdated buildings in order to improve the overall look of the district.
“I also want to acquire another $2 million in property so that eventually, when people drive into downtown Newark from places like New Albany and Columbus, they will be impressed,” he says. “In addition, I have talked with a consulting firm in Columbus that has suggested what downtown Newark will eventually need to make it more dynamic for residents and visitors.”
McClain says the downtown district will ultimately need two to three privately owned upscale eateries as well as a franchise restaurant, plus an upscale hotel, medical center and some single-family condominiums.
“It will probably be two years before true construction begins downtown,” he says. “The Newark district has always been a special place. It already has the Midland Theatre and a couple of nice restaurants. It just needs some further revitalization, and that revitalization is about to begin in earnest.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
