It took six months for developer Mike Maschek of Hiram to renovate the historic feed mill at the intersection of Main, Center and Water streets. Maschek had gained ownership of the dilapidated mill property from Marty Paul in May 2014. By December, its exterior had been transformed from a sagging eyesore to a beautiful centerpiece for the village. By January 2015, it was set to open for business as The Coffee Mill.
But the doors remain closed while the yet-to-be-named new tenants struggle to equip and furnish the 3,000-square-foot, three-level structure (a coffee shop on the main floor, a wireless lounge in the basement, and a meeting place/community room on the third floor).
“We just have to wait while they gather the funds,” Maschek says. “Good things come to those who wait. But I have to admit, it is agitating. It hurts me too to wait, so there’s a chance I may have to sell it outright. I’ve never been crazy about owning buildings and being a landlord. For me, it’s more about restoring and.. renovating.”Good things come to those who wait.
Originally, Maschek had discussed retaining ownership of the building and leasing retail space out to former Buckeye Block business owners who had lost their storefronts in the March 2014 fire. His next option was to rent it out to others who would manage The Coffee Mill he envisioned. But its materialization is taking too long.
While he will wait a bit longer, Maschek is fielding offers from other potential buyers who continue to approach him with new concepts for the mill. Maschek says he may be pressed into a position of considering these offers.
Regardless of whether Maschek retains ownership of the mill building, he still retains 150 square feet of property behind the building for future development. Since sagging out-buildings have been cleared away from behind the mill, Maschek says the footprint is actually larger than the former Buckeye Block Building. He has suggested that a restaurant with patio dining overlooking (and extending halfway across) Silver Creek would be a great asset to the village.
Built in 1852, the mill has served the village as a carriage shop, general store, and feed supplier before going out of business more than a decade ago. Its renovation began in May 2014. It still sits vacant, waiting to percolate.
